Today's News: FBI Searches John Bolton’s Properties Amidst Renewed Classified Information Probe
This search reignited a probe that had been closed under the Biden administration. The search drew significant criticism, with many suggesting they are a politically motivated act of retribution.
Photo: Jason Andrew for The New York Times
Overview
Date: August 22, 2025
Topic: FBI Searches John Bolton’s Properties Amidst Renewed Classified Information Probe and Allegations of Political Retribution
Summary: Federal Bureau of Investigation agents conducted court-authorized searches of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s home and office on August 22, 2025, as part of a renewed investigation into the alleged mishandling and disclosure of classified information, particularly related to his 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.” This action reignited a probe that had been closed under the Biden administration. The searches have drawn significant criticism, with many suggesting they are a politically motivated act of retribution by the Trump administration against a prominent critic, a charge denied by Vice President JD Vance and others. The events unfolded publicly, contrasting with previous high-profile investigations, and occurred amidst a broader campaign by the Trump administration to target perceived political enemies.
Sources
The New York Times - Search of Bolton’s Home Shows Uneasy Mix of Retribution and Law Enforcement
Fox News - Trump–Bolton feud back in focus after FBI raid: ‘Never had a clue … what a dope!’
Key Points
FBI Searches John Bolton’s Properties: All articles confirm that FBI agents executed court-authorized searches at John Bolton’s home and office in the Washington D.C. area on August 22, 2025.
Investigation into Classified Information: The searches are part of a renewed or ongoing investigation into whether Bolton illegally possessed, mishandled, or disclosed classified information, primarily stemming from his 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.”
Resumption of a Previously Closed Probe: The investigation into Bolton’s book was initially pursued by the Justice Department during Trump’s first term, closed under the Biden administration, and has now been reopened or resumed under the second Trump administration.
Allegations of Political Retribution: A central theme across all articles is the strong suggestion that these searches are politically motivated acts of retribution by the Trump administration against a perceived enemy, especially given the public nature of the searches and the timing.
Trump’s Denial of Prior Knowledge but Assertions of Power: President Trump consistently stated he had no prior knowledge of the searches but simultaneously suggested he could have initiated them as “chief law enforcement officer.”
Social Media Posts by Top FBI/DOJ Officials: FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, and Attorney General Pam Bondi all posted cryptic messages on social media around the time of the searches, using phrases like “NO ONE is above the law” and “Public corruption will not be tolerated,” which were widely interpreted as references to the Bolton investigation.
Revocation of Bolton’s Security Detail/Clearances: It is noted across articles that President Trump stripped Bolton of his Secret Service detail and security clearances shortly after beginning his second term in January 2025.
Contentious History with Trump: The articles detail the long and fraught relationship between Trump and Bolton, including Bolton’s 2019 departure (Trump claiming he fired Bolton, Bolton claiming he resigned) and the critical nature of Bolton’s memoir.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times features a quote from Barbara L. McQuade, a law professor and former U.S. attorney, who states that “Trump’s Justice Department has lost any presumption of regularity” due to the administration’s threats to target enemies.
CNN provides a broader context of Trump’s “campaign of retribution,” listing several other individuals targeted by investigations or actions, including:
former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor
former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency chief Christopher Krebs
former CIA Director John Brennan
former FBI Director James Comey
Sen. Adam Schiff
New York Attorney General Letitia James.
CNN also notes that Bolton had led a campaign against Kash Patel’s candidacy for FBI Director.
NBC News uniquely identifies CIA Director John Ratcliffe as the individual who provided FBI Director Kash Patel with the intelligence that formed the basis for the search warrant used against Bolton. It also details the Biden administration’s reasoning for dropping the original case, citing facts and likelihood of prevailing in court, and pointing to their investigation of Democrats (like President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden) as proof of non-political decisions.
Fox News emphasizes the direct “trading barbs” between Trump and Bolton over the years, including specific insults from Trump like “wacko” and “dope,” and Bolton’s direct statements about Trump being “unfit for office” and “stunningly uninformed.” It also specifically mentions that Bolton was not arrested or taken into custody following the raid.
The Washington Post cites U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth’s June 2020 opinion, which stated that Bolton “likely jeopardized national security interests by disclosing classified information” in his book, despite allowing its publication. It also features a quote from former counterintelligence prosecutor David Aaron on the relatively low legal threshold for obtaining a search warrant.
The Wall Street Journal highlights National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s actions, citing “failure to safeguard classified information” and “politicization or weaponization of intelligence” as justifications for revoking security clearances of 37 other current and former government officials, many tied to the 2016 Russia influence assessments or impeachment efforts.
Contrasting Details
Motivation for the Search: While a source close to Bolton, cited by NBC News, believes the search is “retribution, pure and simple,” and The New York Times and The Washington Post emphasize the “campaign of retribution” context, NBC News and CNN quote Vice President JD Vance denying political motivation, characterizing it as an evidence-gathering operation “driven by the law and not by politics” and due to “broad concern about, about Ambassador Bolton.” NBC News also quotes House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who states he believes it is “accountability,” not “retribution,” and expresses confidence in Kash Patel.
Trump’s Knowledge of the Search: President Trump consistently told reporters he had “no knowledge” of the raid beforehand (CNN, NBC News, Fox News, The Washington Post). However, he then contradicted this by saying he “could be the one starting it” and that he is “actually the chief law enforcement officer,” implying a level of control or awareness he claimed not to have (CNN, The Washington Post).
Publicity of the Search: CNN and The Washington Post highlight the public nature of the FBI search at Bolton’s home, with agents wearing identifiable “FBI” jackets, contrasting it with the 2022 Mar-a-Lago search, which was conducted with officials in plain clothes and was largely unknown to the public until it was nearly concluded. CNN further notes that FBI Director Kash Patel had previously called the Mar-a-Lago search a “total weaponization and politicization by the FBI and DOJ.”
Pre-publication Review of Bolton’s Book: The Wall Street Journal states that while an initial government reviewer had judged Bolton’s manuscript to be free of classified information, “other senior officials later determined that it still contained classified passages,” leading to the Justice Department’s lawsuit. This adds nuance to Bolton’s claim, mentioned in NBC News, that he had fulfilled his legal obligations and obtained a letter from a National Security Council official stating the book contained no classified material. NBC News also mentions a second, politically motivated review that delayed publication.
The Newsie Project uses AI to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US and world online news sources.
This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).