The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a high-profile raid on the Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office of former national security adviser John Bolton on Friday, following a classified documents probe. The search, reportedly ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, was linked to allegations that Bolton improperly shared classified information with his family through a private email server while serving in the Trump administration, according to the New York Post. Search warrants referenced a controversy over Bolton’s memoir, though officials described the probe as a ‘clean break’ from the book-related investigation.
President Donald Trump, who revoked Bolton’s security clearance and Secret Service detail in January 2025, expressed disdain for his former adviser during a press briefing, calling him a ‘lowlife’ and ‘unpatriotic.’ Vice President JD Vance emphasized that the investigation is ongoing but denied that Bolton was being targeted for criticizing Trump. A source familiar with the raid noted that Bolton’s criticism of Trump’s handling of classified information was ‘some nerve,’ highlighting the broader tensions between Bolton and Trump.
The probe follows the FBI’s 2022 raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which led to Trump’s indictment on 37 felony charges, later increased to 40 before the case was dropped in July 2024. The Justice Department had previously attempted to block Bolton’s memoir,