On Friday morning, FBI agents raided the residence of former National Security Advisor John Bolton in Bethesda, Maryland, under a court-authorized warrant. The operation is reportedly related to a national security investigation.
At the scene, CNN reporters witnessed FBI personnel conversing with an individual on the porch, followed by at least four to six agents entering the house, some carrying bags, although no items have been seen being taken out so far. CNN later reached out to Bolton himself, who stated that he was unaware of the FBI action and was currently seeking further clarification.
A government official from the Trump administration disclosed to the New York Post that the operation was ordered by the current FBI Director Kash Patel, with agents commencing the search at 7 a.m. Patel later posted on the social media platform X, stating, “No one is above the law… FBI agents are carrying out their mission.”
The investigation is said to involve classified documents. The Justice Department’s scrutiny of Bolton dates back to 2020 when the Trump administration alleged that his memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” contained classified information and sought legal action to prevent its release. Although the book ultimately hit the market, a criminal investigation was launched by the Justice Department in September of the same year. However, the case was halted and dismissed after the Biden administration took office in 2021. Currently, it remains unclear whether this raid is directly linked to the controversies surrounding Bolton’s memoir from that time or involves other sensitive information.
While the raid was ongoing, Bolton’s X account posted a tweet at 7:32 a.m. criticizing Trump’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. Whether this tweet was pre-scheduled or not remains unknown.
Following his fallout with Trump, Bolton, as a former advisor, has been vocal in criticizing Trump’s national security and foreign policies on television commentary.
Just the day before this operation, Patel publicly accused former FBI Director James Comey of “orchestrating leaks of classified documents and misleading Congress” before the 2016 election. He underscored his commitment to combating corruption within the federal government and exposing political manipulation.