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.
Redacted court filings related to the Washington search were released by Justice Department lawyers after several news organizations, including POLITICO, filed a formal motion asking for disclosure of the records. DOJ attorneys agreed to make public redacted versions of the inventory, search warrant and accompanying affidavit, but resisted blanket release of the information, citing a need to protect a national security investigation.
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