In a stunning development that has raised serious questions about selective law enforcement and national security breaches, the FBI raided the home of former National Security Adviser John Bolton on August 22, seizing a trove of documents, electronic devices, and personal notes related to his time in the Trump administration.
Court records unsealed Thursday reveal that agents walked away with three computers, two iPhones, multiple hard drives, and several boxes of classified and sensitive documents—some labeled “Trump I–IV” and a binder titled “statements and reflections to allied strikes.” According to the New York Post, Bolton is under investigation for potentially violating two provisions of the Espionage Act of 1917—charges that could carry up to 25 years in prison.
While Bolton hasn’t been formally charged, the seriousness of the allegations and the breadth of the seizure suggest federal authorities are taking this case far more seriously than the public may have realized.
Once a top national security official in the Trump White House, Bolton quickly became a darling of the media resistance after turning on President Trump and publishing a tell-all book, The Room Where It Happened. That book, published in June 2020—less than a year after he was fired—was promoted as the “most comprehensive” account of the Trump presidency. But behind the scenes, there was a fight over classified content.
The Trump administration argued that Bolton included sensitive material that could compromise U.S. national security, and he was forced to scrub parts of the manuscript before publication. Now, the question is whether he kept unauthorized copies or leaked information tied to Trump’s foreign policy—potential violations of federal law.
Remarkably, the case had been shelved during the Biden years, despite evidence and probable cause. According to a senior FBI official, the Biden DOJ allowed the investigation to go cold—likely due to political convenience, as Bolton had become a vocal critic of Trump and a regular guest on liberal media outlets.
“The [Biden administration] had probable cause to know that he had taken material that was detrimental to the national security of the United States, and they made no effort to retrieve it,” the official said. “They kept bashing [Trump] the entire time for ‘weaponizing law enforcement,’ and they — by politically stopping a righteous investigation — are the ones who weaponized law enforcement.”
It wasn’t until FBI Director Kash Patel reactivated the investigation in February that the agency moved forward. Now, Bolton is facing the same kind of legal scrutiny Democrats have cheered when aimed at Trump or his allies.
President Trump, who had no apparent knowledge of the raid, reacted sharply when asked by reporters.
“I saw it on television this morning. I’m not a fan of John Bolton. He’s a real … lowlife,” Trump said. “He’s not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy … we’re going to find out.”
Trump’s assessment of Bolton as a self-serving operator rings true for many on the Right, who watched him go from national security hawk to media darling as soon as he had a book to sell and a grudge to nurse.
This raises critical questions about equal treatment under the law. While conservatives have faced endless raids, indictments, and media smears for far less, Bolton was essentially protected by the Biden administration for years—despite the very real possibility that he mishandled national security information. The Left accused Trump of "weaponizing" the DOJ, but conveniently looked the other way when one of their own was spared scrutiny.
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