FBI agents raided the Maryland home and Washington, D.C. office of John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, early Friday morning, US media reported.
The operation is part of a high-profile investigation into allegations that Bolton used a private email server to transmit highly sensitive classified documents during his tenure in the White House.
The raid began at Bolton’s residence in Bethesda, where agents were seen entering the property and carrying boxes out over the course of several hours. Bolton’s wife, Gretchen Smith Bolton, was visibly shaken as she interacted with agents at the front door.
Later in the day, agents moved to Bolton’s downtown D.C. office, but waited for a judge to sign a warrant before entering.
The investigation was ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist who posted a cryptic message on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the raid began:
“NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission”
Bolton is notorious for his close ties with the Algerian regime and its Polisario separatist proxies.
The investigation centers on violations of federal laws governing the handling of classified information, including potential breaches of the Espionage Act and statutes related to unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense materials.