The FBI conducted a high-profile raid on former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland, residence Friday morning, linked to allegations that he sent highly sensitive classified documents to his family using a private email server.
The raid, ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, came amid renewed scrutiny of Bolton’s handling of national security information while serving in the Trump administration.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 until September 2019, was home at the time of the raid, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation reportedly focuses on documents Bolton allegedly sent from his work email to his wife and daughter, raising concerns about the unauthorized transmission of classified material.
Officials indicated that Bolton engaged in these actions just before he was fired in September 2019.
A senior U.S. official told the New York Post that Bolton “was literally stealing classified information, utilizing his family as a cutout” while he was still working in the White House, per the Daily Mail.
The probe into Bolton’s conduct was initially launched in 2020 but was reportedly paused during the Biden administration. Patel’s FBI has now revived the investigation.
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the raid