The FBI has released new details on its raid of former National Security Adviser John Bolton, confirming a criminal investigation is underway.
According to a public inventory, agents seized three computers, two iPhones, and stacks of documents from Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland home.
The raid also included his office in Washington, D.C.
Bolton is under investigation for mishandling classified documents, and federal prosecutors have not ruled out criminal charges.
Agents took two USB drives, a hard drive, and four boxes of “printed daily activities.”
They also seized “typed documents in folders labeled ‘Trump I – IV’” and a binder labeled “statements and reflections to allied strikes.”
The warrant revealed Bolton is being investigated for violating the Espionage Act of 1917. That law prohibits the unauthorized removal or possession of national defense information.
Investigators say he may also be in violation of another law tied to hoarding classified materials, as Trending Politics reported.
Bolton, a one-time Trump ally who later became a sharp critic, has faced questions about his handling of classified documents since 2020.
That year, the Trump administration sued to block his book, “The Room Where It Happened.”
Officials argued he bypassed the National Security Council’s vetting process, which is mandatory for former officials who may include sensitive material in publications.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth refused to block the book but blasted Bolton in court. He said Bolton “likely published classified materials” and “exposed his country to harm.” The lawsuit later continued but was dismissed under the Biden administration in 2021.
Now, evidence has resurfaced. The New York Times reported last week that U.S. intelligence intercepted data from a foreign spy service indicating Bolton may have shared classified emails in 2019.
The emails were allegedly sent through an unsecured server to people close to Bolton while he served in the Trump administration.
Investigators also believe some of the documents Bolton took were later accessed by a hostile foreign government.
Democrats and media pundits have accused the Trump administration of political targeting in the past, but the Times reported that the current case “began to pick up steam” under Biden.
For now, Bolton has not been arrested. But the Espionage Act carries a potential penalty of up to 25 years in federal prison if prosecutors move forward.
The fallout from the raid has once again put Bolton’s credibility and judgment under fire, with the FBI saying the evidence will be reviewed for further action.
