An FBI affidavit seeking a warrant to search former national security adviser John Bolton's home alleges he used a private email account that was hacked by a "foreign entity" and wrongly shared classified information.
Why it matters: Bolton's role as one of President Trump's sharpest critics has sparked claims, which Trump denies, that he is being investigated for political purposes. The newly unsealed document sketches the outlines of the FBI probe into Bolton's handling of classified information.
Driving the news: A judge approved the release of the affidavit Friday in response to a request from media organizations including Axios, though the document was heavily redacted at the government's request.
- It contains details of what the FBI was searching for and by what methods — including a request to use Bolton's biometrics to open any locked accounts, and a request to access safes.
Catch up quick: A hawkish veteran of multiple Republican administrations, Bolton was Trump's national security adviser from 2018-2019 and quickly turned critic after leaving the administration, including in his scathing 2020 book, "The Room Where it Happened."
- Trump's first administration tried to block the release of the book, arguing it contained classified information, and opened a criminal inquiry after it was published.
- That investigation ended under the Biden administration, and Bolton continued to criticize Trump's foreign policy in cable news appearances.
- On Aug. 22, Bolton's Maryland home was raided by the FBI as part of a renewed probe into his handling of classified information. Agents seized two phones, a computer and hard drive, two laptops, two USB drives and several documents.
What they're saying: Trump denied any prior knowledge of the raid on Bolton's home, but called him a "real lowlife."
- Trump's own home at Mar-a-Lago had been raided during an investigation into his retention of classified documents. The case was dismissed in July 2024 and the Justice Department dropped an appeal after he was reelected last November.
- Bolton's attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement: "The materials sought and produced in the search process were reviewed and closed years ago. They have been revived because Trump's DOJ — the most politicized in American history — is carrying out his political revenge."
- Lowell also claimed the documents removed from Bolton's home were simply "the kinds of records that would be kept by a 40-year career" official, and that material related to his book had been "approved" ahead of publication.
Zoom in: The FBI search warrant affidavit, submitted the day before the raid, recounts conversations between Bolton and National Security Council staffer Ellen Knight.
- Per the document, Knight advised Bolton via his attorney in January 2020 that the manuscript for his upcoming book appeared to contain classified information, some of which was designated as "Top Secret."
- In a second email to Bolton's attorney the following month, apparently in response to a revised manuscript, Knight wrote that the level of detail suggested Bolton was writing from notes he'd taken while at the White House.
- Knight advised the attorney that Bolton had stated before leaving government that he had not retained any such records, and she asked whether he had retained "any notes or other records from his government service."
- In a third letter later in February, Knight said Bolton had "'appeared to acknowledge the need to modify the manuscript to remove classified information," per the affidavit.
Between the lines: These exchanges are relevant to the question of whether Bolton knowingly published classified information, or improperly kept notes containing classified information after leaving the government.
- At the time, Bolton's attorney Charles Cooper told the White House: "We do not believe that any of the information [in the book] could reasonably be considered classified."
The intrigue: Ten pages of the 39-page affidavit are part of a section titled: "Hack of Bolton AOL Account by Foreign Entity."
- They are entirely redacted — by far the most thoroughly blacked-out portion of the document.
- The New York Times previously reported that U.S. investigators had found that an "adversarial country's spy service" had gained access to sensitive information Bolton had sent to associates while he was still national security adviser. Axios has not confirmed that.
- The request for a warrant mentions several instances in which Bolton accused other senior officials of being irresponsible with classified information.
- Those include Hillary Clinton, over her use of a private email server, and Trump's national security team, over its use of Signal to discuss imminent strikes in Yemen.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Bolton's attorney.
