In a significant development, FBI agents uncovered classified documents at the Washington office of John Bolton, the former national security adviser, last month.
This discovery, as reported by Politico, occurred during an August 22 search conducted under a federal warrant. The court filings released on Tuesday have confirmed the presence of these sensitive materials.
According to Western Journal, the seized documents included references to weapons of mass destruction, as well as records pertaining to the United Nations and the U.S. government's strategic communications. While the FBI's inventory did not specify the exact number of classified pages retrieved, it did note that some folders were marked "confidential" and contained pages labeled "secret."
Notably, at least one "confidential" heading was redacted from the list, as reported by Politico. On the same day as the office search, agents also examined Bolton's Bethesda, Maryland, residence, where they confiscated computers and electronic devices. However, no classified materials were immediately identified at his home.
The investigation is reportedly focused on three potential felony offenses, including violations of the Espionage Act and unauthorized retention of classified information. This scrutiny comes in the wake of Bolton's previous legal troubles, where he faced a lawsuit for including classified details in his memoir.
In 2020, a judge cautioned that his actions might have been criminal, although the Justice Department, under President Joe Biden, dropped the probe in 2021.
Bolton's attorney, Abbe Lowell, has defended his client's possession of the materials, stating, "These materials, many of which are documents that had been previously approved as part of a pre-publication review for Amb. Boltons book, were reviewed and closed years ago."
Lowell further explained, "These are the kinds of ordinary records, many of which are 20 years old or more, that would be kept by a 40-year career official who served at the State Department, as an Assistant Attorney General, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and the National Security Advisor." The documents reportedly date back to Bolton's service during the George W. Bush administration from 1998 to 2006.
Bolton, who was dismissed by President Donald Trump during his first term, has been an outspoken critic of the president, particularly following the FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago in 2022. In a June 2023 post on X, Bolton urged, "All American voters should read the full text of the Trump indictment, and then consult their own consciences. If Trump has done what has alleged, he should be convicted and punished."
This unfolding situation raises questions about the handling of classified information by former officials and the implications for national security. As the investigation progresses, the focus will likely remain on the potential legal ramifications for Bolton and the broader implications for government transparency and accountability.
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