John Bolton is legally vulnerable after FBI raid classification memoir

A source told Fox News Numbers that the FBI raid on John Bolton’s home and office was linked to an investigation of his controversial book, Fox News Digital, which sparked speculation that former Trump advisers might face criminal charges.

The scope of any potential allegations against Bolton was served before Donald Trump was unhappy in 2019, but legal experts tend to agree that Bolton has some legal exposure.

Mark Zaid, a well-known attorney specializing in national security, said that while there are many unknowns in the Justice Department’s investigation into his memoir Bolton’s “The Room That Happened”, it could be a vulnerable area for him.

“A book about Bolton, if he keeps any copies of any earlier drafts, he could be vulnerable when he first submitted to the White House for review,” Zaid told Fox New Digital. “Based on normal business, these drafts may have been spread to his literary agents, publishers and lawyers.”

History of how Trump and Bolton relations ruined

ZAID added that the transmissions could be illegal under the Espionage Act, a series of serious charges used to punish spies and leak government secrets.

In the first Trump administration, the attorney general Bill Barr The investigation into Bolton began a book and a civil lawsuit was filed against him within days before his release.

The Justice Department claims in the lawsuit that Bolton skipped the review process for normal publication and allowed its publishers to continue printing a book containing several confidential national security information.

Bolton said in court documents that he did not initially think his memoir contained confidential information, but later edited some information from the book after consulting with the National Security Council. Bolton never received the last signing from the National Security Council before continuing to publish. He argued in court documents that the Trump administration’s refusal to approve the content of the memoir violated his First Amendment rights and that the National Security Council’s review process “was abused to suppress the book, which contained harsh criticism of Trump.

Democrats oppose John Bolton for years – until they seek him as an ally to Trump

FBI agents left John Bolton’s office in Washington after obtaining documents on August 22, 2025. （Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead）

Judge Royce Lamberth, a D.C.-based Regan-appointed judge, denied Trump’s Justice Department’s request to block Bolton books because for several reasons, it has reached publishers. Despite this, Lambers blamed Bolton.

“The defendant Bolton gambled for the national security of the United States,” Lambers wrote in the order at the time. “He caused his country to be hurt and assumed responsibility for civil (possibly a crime).

Lamberth found that Bolton could have “had endangered national security by disclosing confidential information” due to a violation of various non-disclosure agreements he signed as part of his national security post.

The Justice Department never filed a charge against Bolton, and the investigation was shut down under the Biden administration. this Biden Dorje In June 2021, the civil lawsuit against Bolton was dismissed.

JD Vance insists FBI searches for Bolton’s home “is not at all” about political retribution

On February 19, 2020, in archive photos, former national security adviser John Bolton participated in a global leadership discussion at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Bolton’s book controversy has been at the forefront since he raided in his home and office, but a familiar source familiar with the investigation told Fox News on Monday that the investigation is wider than the book.

According to the New York Times, the search warrant was authorized by a judge and was based on evidence collected overseas by the CIA.

Critics point to Bolton as the Trump Justice Department’s latest goal, which is pursuing several political rivals of the president despite its promise to end “weaponization.” The department has addressed New York Attorney General Letitia James and D-Calif. Senator Adam Schiff launched a grand jury investigation and is studying Obama-era national security officials, whose NIA Director Tulsi Gabbard said it was trying to undermine Trump’s 2016 victory. Trump also urged an investigation into former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and cited “crime” related to the George Washington Bridge Lane closed scandal.

Former Virginia U.S. Attorney John Fishwick suggested the line between honest review of potential misconduct and political revenge blurred.

“Trump Justice Department targets Trump’s enemies – Letitia James, Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve Governor [Lisa] Chef and now John Bolton. Trump seems to want them to be hurt for personal/political reasons, but is it reasonable if they violate the law? Fishwick told Fox News Digital in a statement. “This issue is incredibly stress-testing on our legal system.” ”

ZAID notes that if Bolton is sued, it can be filed with a selective or defensive prosecution, but it is difficult to prove it.

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Attorney Jason Kander, an Army veteran and former Missouri former secretary, said in a podcast that even if the Justice Department has not determined a conviction against Bolton, the legal process itself is a punishment.

“It’s not just harassment. It’s potential financial destruction,” Kander said. “It doesn’t matter when they follow you like this. In this case, it’s at least a million dollars in legal fees.”