The FBI raided the Maryland home of former National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday morning as part of a national security investigation involving classified information.
The New York Post, which first reported the raid, said that it was conducted as part of a “high-profile national security probe.” FBI agents began the search around 7:00 am at Bolton’s Bethesda home, the Post reported.
“NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X as the raid began.
NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 22, 2025
Commenting on FBI Director Kash Patel’s social media post shortly after the news broke that said “NO ONE is above the law,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said “Public corruption will not be tolerated,” and Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote, “America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.”
Fox News reported that FBI agents were also seen removing boxes out of Bolton’s office in Washington, D.C.
When asked about the raid, the FBI told NBC News that it was “conducting court authorized activity in the area. There is no threat to public safety.”
The Post also reported that an official said that a previous investigation into Bolton had been quashed “for political reasons.”
Bolton served in the first Trump administration from April 2018 until September 2019. After Bolton left the White House, he became a frequent critic of Trump. Bolton was previously the ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush.
In 2020, he published a book called “The Room Where it Happened” that the Trump administration argued endangered national security. Trump’s Justice Department sued to block its publication and distribution, but that lawsuit was ultimately dismissed after Joe Biden became president in 2021.
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The book was cited as one of the reasons for the Trump administration to yank Bolton’s security clearance earlier this year.
“The book was rife with sensitive information drawn from his time in government,” the White House said. “The memoir’s reckless treatment of sensitive information undermined the ability of future presidents to request and obtain candid advice on matters of national security from their staff. Publication also created a grave risk that classified material was publicly exposed.”
Trump also moved to pull the Secret Service security detail that was assigned to protect Bolton shortly after he took office in January 2025. Last week, Trump slammed Bolton as “dumb” in a Truth Social post written in response to criticism over his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
CNN reported that Bolton was not home at the time of the raid.
