Federal agents raided the home of former National Security Advisor John Bolton early Friday morning as part of a federal investigation into allegations that he sent classified documents to his family from a private email server while serving in the White House, according to the New York Post.
The FBI arrived at Bolton’s residence in Bethesda, Maryland, around 7 a.m., with the search reportedly ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, a Trump administration official told the outlet.
Agents later went to Bolton’s office but waited to enter until a judge signed off on a warrant authorizing the search.
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Patel, who was appointed FBI Director by President Trump, posted a message to X shortly after the raid began. “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission,” Patel wrote.
NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 22, 2025
The raids are reportedly centered on claims that Bolton transmitted “highly sensitive” classified materials to family members using a private email server.
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Federal investigators have not released public details on the scope of the materials allegedly transmitted or the specific charges under consideration.
Sources told the New York Post that investigators are reviewing Bolton’s computer, emails, and the manuscript of his memoir, The Room Where It Happened.
The book, published in 2020, included multiple references to discussions and events that raised questions about national security matters.
Michael Cohen, a former attorney who served prison time for perjury and other offenses, discussed the raid during an appearance on MSNBC. Cohen, now a legal analyst for the network, compared Bolton’s situation to his own experience when his properties were raided by federal agents in 2018.
“Well, I’ve been there, as you know, years back, they raided my home hotel and my law office as well,” Cohen said to MSNBC anchor Allie Raffa.
“Let me be very clear about something. What we have here is the Trump team, the DOJ, going through, for example, the book, The Room Where It All Happened, which I actually had read while I was in solitary confinement. And they’ve noticed that there are many aspects of this book that appear to be of national security importance.”
Cohen said he believes the book was a factor in the government’s decision to pursue the raid.
“And that’s what I believe that they predicated this raid upon. I also believe that there is no doubt that he will be indicted. They will find documents once they go through, for example, his computer. They’ll find the manuscript. They’ll see emails going back and forth between John Bolton, his people, as well as maybe the attorney that reviewed it for, you know, for legal ease and for, you know, for questions.”
Cohen added that Bolton should “lawyer up” as the investigation continues, pointing to the prosecution of former National Security Agency translator Reality Winner in 2018 for leaking classified information.
Crates of documents and computers were seen being removed from his residence, according to the New York Post report.
The Department of Justice has not confirmed whether Bolton faces imminent charges.
Federal law prohibits the transmission of classified information without authorization, and cases involving alleged mishandling of sensitive material have previously led to both criminal indictments and plea agreements.
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