FBI โคInvestigates โFormer National Security Advisor John Bolton Over Handling of Classified Information
WASHINGTON D.C. -โ Federal investigators have reportedly searched theโข Bethesda,Maryland home andโค Washington D.C.โ office of john Bolton, former National โSecurity โฃAdvisor to President Donald Trump, as part of โคan examination into the handling of โclassified information. The searches occured at the endโ of August, according to sources familiar withโฃ theโค matter.
Bolton, a โฃprominent figure in the first โTrump governance, previouslyโ served as U.S.Ambassador to the United โฃNations under Presidentโฃ George W. Bush from 2001-2009. He then became Trump’s third Nationalโ Security Advisor,โฃ holding theโข position for 17 months.Knownโข as a neoconservative and aโ strong advocateโข for assertive foreign policy, Bolton โfrequently โfound himself at oddsโ with Trump on key geopolitical issues, including approaches to Northโข Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
The investigation centers on a memoir Bolton โฃpublished in 2020, The Roomโข Where It Happened, detailing his time inโข theโ white House. The Trump administration attempted to block the book’s publication, alleging itโค contained โฃclassified material. โขA court ultimately permitted its release despite the โadministration’s efforts.
The scrutiny of Bolton comes as Trump, back in power, has initiated legal actions against individuals heโ believes actedโ against โคhim during his first term or 2020 campaign. Inโข September, former FBI Director James โคComey โwas charged with obstruction of โขjustice and lyingโ to Congress, following a message from Trump to his Secretary of Justice, Pam Bondi.
Recent legal challenges have also targeted New York prosecutor Letitia James,who faced accusations of โmortgageโค fraud inโ a civil case concerningโ theโ Trump family business. While a Manhattan judgeโค initially ordered theโ Trump Association to pay $454 million in fines โขand restricted the involvement of Donald Trump Jr. andโข Eric Trump in the business for two years, an appeals court overturned that decision in August.
Adding to the situation, on January 20th, the day of his inauguration for a second term, Trump revoked the security clearances of nearly 50 former seniorโข officials from his administration, including Bolton. He โalso ordered the removal of Bolton’s security detail,โข despite Bolton having received death threats โfromโ Iran.