The FBI says it turned up classified documents during a raid of former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s office in downtown Washington, according to court filings.
The description of items seized in the Aug. 22 raid refers to confidential documents related to weapons of mass destruction, a strategic government communications plan and the U.S. mission to the U.N.
The revelation raises the prospect of criminal charges against Mr. Bolton, who served in the White House’s inner national security circle during President Trump’s first term.
Mr. Trump soured on Mr. Bolton, saying he was war hungry, and Mr. Bolton frequently criticizes the president on the airwaves.
FBI agents in August raided his office and his home in Bethesda, Maryland.
“Based on my training, experience, and education, including my familiarity with the facts and circumstances of this investigation, and discussions with other FBI personnel, I respectfully submit that there is probable cause to believe that evidence of the unlawful retention and transmission of classified information and National Defense Information — including copies of documents containing such information — are located in the TARGET OFFICE,” an agent wrote in the court filing made public this week.
The Washington Times reached out to the office of Mr. Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, for comment.
Mr. Trump was the subject of a probe into classified documents taken from the White House and stored at his Florida estate in Mar-a-Lago, though the case was dismissed after Mr. Trump won a second term.
Former President Joseph R. Biden was also the subject of an investigation into classified records at his Delaware property, but was not charged.
Agents who applied for a warrant to search Mr. Bolton’s office and home said they were searching for evidence related to at least two statutes: conspiracy to gather, transmit or lose national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act; removing or retaining classified information without permission.
The new filing, which is heavily redacted, recounts how Mr. Bolton raised suspicions when he submitted a tell-all book to the government for a national security review in 2019.
The book contained a level of detail related to secret information, so government officials wanted to know if Mr. Bolton retained notes or other material in violation of the law.
The Justice Department, in Mr. Trump’s first term, sued Mr. Bolton and launched a criminal probe into whether he unlawfully disclosed classified information in the book, which was a scathing critique of the administration.
Mr. Biden’s Justice Department dropped the lawsuit and grand jury investigation in 2021. Mr. Bolton has long professed his innocence and claimed the probe was an example of Mr. Trump using the Justice Department to attack his perceived enemies.
Since returning to office, Mr. Trump has targeted his most vocal critics, including Democrats and law firms that sued his first administration and were involved in lawsuits and investigations into him and his allies.
Earlier this year, Mr. Trump revoked Mr. Bolton’s Secret Service protection.
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this story.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.