Bolton’s lawyer told USA Today that the documents containing dated classification markings were from the George W. Bush administration and that thorough reviews show that inappropriate things have not been preserved.
John Bolton’s career and clash with Trump
Former UN ambassador and Trump adviser John Bolton has been attacked by the FBI.
Federal law enforcement agencies obtained documents labeled “categorized,” “secret,” and “confidential” during a search for the office of former national security adviser John Bolton in August, according to court filings.
A special representative of the government described alleged documents in written inventory of seized property, filed in federal court, Washington, D.C., and acquired by Politico. It reportedly includes travel memo documents, including pages labeled “Secret,” the US mission to the United Nations, and the US communication strategy labeled “Confidential,” and the documents relating to weapons of mass destruction labeled “classification.”
Bolton’s lawyer Abbe Lowell told USA Today in a statement that many of the references had been “previously approved” in a review before Bolton published his 2020 book, The Room Where Where: A White House Memoir.
“These are common types of records, many of which are over 20 years of age and protected as 40-year career staff members who served in the State Department, attorney general, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and national security advisers,” according to a statement from Lowell.
“Specifically, documents containing outdated classification markings for the period 1998-2006 begin with the Bolton era in the George W. Bush administration. An objective and thorough review indicates that Amb.bolton will preserve or maintain that there is no inappropriate,” Lowell said.
Bolton, who served as the United Nations U.S. ambassador under President George W. Bush, was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser in his first administration, and has since been a fierce critic of Trump.
Bolton told USA Today in 2020 that if he were a senator at Trump’s first blast-each trial, he would likely have convicted Trump. Trump was accused of abusing power by withholding government assistance to investigate then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son. The Senate acquitted Trump on the charges, mainly along the party line.
According to filings, the search for Bolton’s office took place on August 22 under a warrant sanctioned the court. In the warrant application, a special agent from the FBI (names re-edited from the published application) argued that Bolton likely violated US laws protecting national defense information.
Bolton is not the only Trump critics who have been scrutinized in the investigation since the president took office in January.
The Justice Department also reportedly has launched an investigation into New York Attorney General Leticia James. And the US Special Advisors Office is investigating the actions of former federal prosecutor Jack Smith in the incident that came to Trump after Trump was dropped after his victory in the 2024 election.
The investigation has prompted concerns that Trump is using his second season to pursue a revenge campaign against his perceived enemies.
In a post about True Society on September 20th, Trump publicly told Attorney General Pam Bondy, “We must serve justice, now!!!” And several people linked to past investigations — New York Attorney General Letia James, former FBI director James Comey and California Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff, suggesting that they should be indicted.
In another true social post on September 20th, Trump allegedly fired Eric Sheebert, who until recently was a US lawyer for the Eastern District of Virginia. Trump said that she did because Sheebert was allegedly endorsed a Democratic senator from Virginia.
Several news outlets, including the Washington Post and the New York Times, reported that Sheebert had resigned amid pressure from the Trump administration over his decision not to pursue charges against James, and concluded that there was no sufficient evidence to support mortgage fraud charges. The news report cited several unnamed sources who were familiar with the issue.
