FBI searching home of Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, source says

Published on 22/08/2025 - 15:01 GMT+2

The FBI is searching nan Maryland location of John Bolton, who served successful Donald Trump's first management arsenic nationalist information advisor but later became captious of nan president, arsenic portion of an investigation into nan handling of classified information, a personification acquainted pinch nan matter said connected Friday.

Bolton was not detained and has not been charged pinch immoderate crimes, said nan person, who was not authorised to talk nan investigation by sanction and said to nan AP news agency connected nan information of anonymity.

A lawyer who has represented Bolton had nary contiguous comment.

The Justice Department besides had nary comment, but leaders appeared to cryptically mention to nan hunt of Bolton's location successful a bid of societal media posts Friday morning.

FBI Director Kash Patel, who successful a 2023 book he wrote included Bolton successful a database of "members of nan Executive Branch Deep State," posted connected X: "NO ONE is supra nan law… @FBI agents connected mission."

Attorney General Pam Bondi shared his post, adding: "America's information isn't negotiable. Justice will beryllium pursued. Always."

The hunt of Bolton's location comes arsenic nan Trump management has taken steps to analyse nan activities of different perceived adversaries of nan Republican president, including by authorising a expansive assemblage investigation into nan origins of nan Trump-Russia probe.

Officials are besides conducting owe fraud investigations into Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a civilian fraud suit against Trump and his company.

Former Trump charismatic Jack Smith also faces an investigation from an independent watchdog office. Schiff and James person vigorously denied immoderate wrongdoing done their lawyers.

In an ABC question and reply earlier this month, Bolton was asked astir whether he was worried astir nan Trump management taking action against him.

Bolton said Trump had "already travel after" him by taking distant his information detail, adding "I deliberation it is simply a retribution presidency."

On his first time backmost successful agency this year, Trump revoked the information clearances of much than 4 twelve erstwhile intelligence officials, including Bolton. Bolton was among a group of erstwhile Trump officials whose information specifications were cancelled earlier this year.

Bolton served arsenic Trump's 3rd nationalist information advisor for 17 months and fought pinch him complete Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea.

He faced scrutiny during nan first Trump management over a book he wrote astir his clip successful authorities that officials based on disclosed classified information, but nan Justice Department successful 2021 abandoned its lawsuit and dropped a abstracted expansive assemblage investigation.

Bolton’s lawyers person said he moved guardant pinch nan book aft a White House National Security Council official, pinch whom Bolton had worked for months, said nan manuscript nary longer contained classified information.

Bolton served arsenic US ambassador to nan United Nations nether President George W. Bush and besides held positions successful President Ronald Reagan's administration.

He had considered moving for president successful 2012 and 2016.