This one might have you listening to Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic” after you’re done reading.
The FBI says its agents have found classified documents in former national security adviser John Bolton’s home. Does this sound familiar?
From Politico:
FBI agents executing a search warrant at former national security adviser John Bolton’s downtown Washington office last month turned up documents marked as classified, according to a court filing released Tuesday.
A description of the documents gathered in the Aug. 22 search suggested they included materials that referenced weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. mission to the United Nations and records related to the U.S. government’s strategic communications.
The inventory by an FBI agent doesn’t specify the number of suspected classified documents. But it lists several collections or folders that were labeled “confidential” and some pages marked “secret.” The heading on at least one set marked “confidential” was redacted from the inventory, filed earlier this month in federal court in Washington.
FBI agents also carried out a search warrant the same morning at Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland, home. The inventory from that search contained no outward indication that classified information was located. However, in both instances, agents reported seizing computers and other electronic devices whose contents were not detailed.
Both search warrant applications indicated FBI agents were seeking evidence related to three felony offenses, including gathering, transmitting or losing national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act and retaining classified information without permission.
In Trump’s first term, Bolton faced a lawsuit claiming he included classified information in a book he wrote after leaving the administration. A federal judge warned publicly that the former White House official’s actions might have been criminal. However, a Justice Department probe did not lead to charges and was eventually dropped under the Biden administration in 2021.
It’s not known when the investigation restarted. Court filings indicate that investigators determined that Bolton’s AOL email account was hacked by a foreign entity, although details of the alleged hack and how the U.S. became aware of it remain unclear.
BREAKING: FBI agents found classified documents at the office of former national security adviser John Bolton on DC. The court filing shows the documents included materials about weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. mission to the United Nations, and U.S. strategic… pic.twitter.com/WyFOeQUf0g
— Futurist™ (@americasgreat) September 24, 2025
The search warrant was approved by US Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, who also received the grand jury indictment against President Donald Trump over election interference.
You might remember when the FBI raided Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago because he possessed classified documents. It was the opening salvo of what would eventually become a wholesale effort to weaponize the criminal justice system against him.
During a 2022 appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Bolton characterized the issue was “a very serious matter.”
“It’s not just a question of carelessness,” he said. “These are highly sensitive documents. The classification system is designed to protect our most important secrets, and if they’re not handled properly, it can do grave damage to national security.
Bolton told NBC News in 2023 that the president’s “handling of these documents shows a complete disregard for the rules that govern classified information.”
He added: “I went through a rigorous process to clear my book, and he thinks he can just take these materials to Mar-a-Lago and treat them like personal property? That’s not how it works."
Special prosecutor Jack Smith moved to drop Trump’s documents case in November 2024 after he won reelection.
Isn’t it interesting that after years of criticizing Trump over the classified documents, he would find himself in the same position? Will he consider this a “very serious matter” as well, or does that only apply to those he doesn’t like?