Federal agents raided the Bethesda, Maryland, home of former National Security Advisor John Bolton early Friday morning, seizing boxes and electronic devices as part of a high-profile classified documents probe.
The 7:00 a.m. FBI raid, reportedly ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, is linked to allegations that Bolton used a private email server to transmit highly sensitive national security information to his wife and daughter in the days leading up to his firing by then-President Donald Trump in September 2019.
Bolton Accused of Using Family as a ‘Cutout’
A senior U.S. official told the Daily Mail that the investigation centers on whether Bolton “was literally stealing classified information, utilizing his family as a cutout” while serving as Trump’s top national security aide.
According to reports, Bolton allegedly forwarded sensitive documents from his official government account to his private server and then shared them with family members.
The raid followed months of renewed scrutiny after the Biden administration initially halted the probe for “political reasons” in 2021. The inquiry, first launched in 2020, was revived under Patel’s leadership at the FBI.
Patel appeared to reference the raid in a cryptic post on X:
“NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission.”
How the Raid Unfolded
Witnesses reported more than a dozen federal agents moving in and out of Bolton’s upscale Bethesda home throughout the morning. Cameras captured agents carrying multiple boxes to and from the residence, while other teams entered Bolton’s downtown Washington, D.C., office.
Bolton’s wife, Gretchen Smith Bolton, was visibly shaken as she spoke briefly with FBI agents before stepping away from the doorway. She later declined to comment to reporters.
The former adviser returned home roughly eight hours after the raid began, offering no statements to the press.
Trump Reacts: ‘I Know the Feeling’
President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with Bolton since firing him in 2019, addressed the controversy during an Oval Office meeting.
“I purposely don’t want to really get involved in it. I’m not a fan of John Bolton. My house was raided also… So I know the feeling. It’s not a good feeling,” Trump said, referencing the 2022 Mar-a-Lago search.
Trump later doubled down, calling Bolton a “lowlife” and accusing him of betraying the administration for TV fame:
“He’ll always go on TV and say something bad about Trump… but when he worked here, he barely spoke.”
Security Clearance Stripped
Tulsi Gabbard, now serving as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, previously revoked Bolton’s security clearance after concerns he retained access to classified information.
Bolton served as National Security Advisor from April 2018 to September 2019, during a period marked by escalating tensions with Iran and negotiations with North Korea.
Political Fallout: Hillary Clinton Comparisons
The Bolton scandal draws inevitable comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s private email server controversy, which dominated the 2016 presidential race. Clinton faced an FBI investigation but avoided charges despite sending and receiving classified material on a non-government server.
Critics argue that if Bolton is proven to have mishandled classified intelligence, the case will fuel demands for equal accountability, regardless of political affiliation.
What’s Next?
Legal experts say Bolton could face charges under the Espionage Act or other federal statutes governing the protection of classified material. Whether the Department of Justice pursues indictments remains unclear.
As for politics, the raid intensifies the feud between Bolton and Trump, who have traded public barbs since Bolton published a memoir blasting the former president’s foreign policy decisions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a06QjZ2LPk
