US News3 min(s) read
Published 14:22 22 Aug 2025 GMT
The FBI has raided the home of Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, reportedly as part of an investigation over classified documents.
Photos shared by a number of US-based media outlets showed police vehicles and officers near Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC.
According to a statement provided to CBS, the FBI is conducting "authorized activity in the area".
Officials have been seen carrying cardboard boxes into Bolton’s house.
So far, Bolton has not been charged with anything.
John Bolton was a part of US President Donald Trump’s first administration, advising on matters of national security.
Since then, he has been an outspoken critic of the president.
According to the Associated Press, Bolton was not detained during this raid and no charges have been filed.
The New York Post reported that the search relates to a long-standing investigation into classified documents.
Bolton has faced allegations of mishandling classified information before now, notably relating to his 2020 memoir ‘The Room Where it Happened’, which told the story of his time in the Trump camp between 2018 and 2019.
In 2019, he was sued by the Justice Department which alleged a "flagrant breach" of a non-disclosure agreement on classified information.
That lawsuit was ultimately dropped in 2021 when Joe Biden was in charge.
In his book, Bolton claimed that "a mountain of facts demonstrates that Trump is unfit to be president."
Before his role in the Trump administration, Bolton had been the US ambassador to the United Nations under George W Bush, Assistant Attorney General under Ronald Reagan, and served in the State Department in the 1990s.
Bolton was also involved in the case against Saddam Hussein alleging that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, which proved to be false.
While there has been no official statement from the White House so far, several figures close to Trump have seemingly commented on the raid on Bolton’s house.
On X, formerly Twitter, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote: “NO ONE is above the law.
"[FBI agents] on a mission," he cryptically added.
Although it is not clear what he referred to, the post was created during the raid.
That post was then shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who added: “America's safety isn't negotiable. Justice will be pursued.
“Always".
Again, it is not clear whether Bondi was referring directly to the raid on Bolton's house.
Patel's message was also reposted by Vice President JD Vance and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who added: “Public corruption will not be tolerated.”
