FBI raids home of John Bolton, former Trump national security advisor

ThatRobGuy · 2025-08-22T08:47:21-0500

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/22/fbi-raid-john-bolton-trump-patel.html

FBI agents on Thursday morning raided the Maryland home of John Bolton, the former national security advisor to President Donald Trump and a staunch critic of the president, NBC News confirmed.

The raid is part of a “national security investigation in search of classified records,” a person familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The probe is eyeing multiple instances of the use of classified documents in leaks to news media. NBC reported that the investigation into Bolton began during the Biden administration, but did not go further before President Joe Biden left office in January.

FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission” at the same time his agents were raiding Bolton’s home.

Oompa Loompa · 2025-08-22T08:52:46-0500

Well...no one is above the law. So we are told.

DaisyDay · 2025-08-22T09:00:46-0500

And the lawfare retaliation continues....

He may have unlawfully retained confidential files or not. Who announced the raid to the media? If it was anyone not representing Bolton, then I suspect nefarious intent and even if it was Bolton, the DOJ shouldn't be commenting on an open investigation. Tweeting on an ongoing case seems very unprofessional - but Patel and Bondi....

Oompa Loompa · 2025-08-22T09:03:40-0500

DaisyDay said:
And the lawfare retaliation continues....

He may have unlawfully retained confidential files or not. Who announced the raid to the media? If it was anyone not representing Bolton, then I suspect nefarious intent and even if it was Bolton, the DOJ shouldn't be commenting on an open investigation. Tweeting on an ongoing case seems very unprofessional - but Patel and Bondi....

So much for "No one is above the law."

DaisyDay · 2025-08-22T09:31:22-0500

Oompa Loompa said:
So much for "No one is above the law."

That vanished with absolute immunity.

I haven't said that Bolton should not be investigated and prosecuted, if warranted only that it is beyond unseemly for Patel and Bondi to be tweeting publicly about an ongoing investigation.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-08-22T09:35:21-0500

DaisyDay said:
And the lawfare retaliation continues...

Per the NBC article, it sounds like this is the continuation of the investigation that had started back in the previous admin...

If there is any merit to the notion that perhaps Bolton was leaking things to the media, it was almost certainly for the purposes of trying to manipulate the public into being on-board for some war or another.

Bolton is one of the most notorious war hawks in our lifetime. He never met a war opportunity he didn't like.

Even if the intent behind continuing the investigation was retaliatory, I see the prospect of "Holding Bolton to account for anything wrong he's done or ways he's manipulated the public" as a net good no matter what kind of administration's doing it.

BCP1928 · 2025-08-22T11:10:52-0500

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Do we know the contents of the warrant and the probable cause which was affirmed?

wing2000 · 2025-08-22T11:14:41-0500

ThatRobGuy said:
Per the NBC article, it sounds like this is the continuation of the investigation that had started back in the previous admin...

If there is any merit to the notion that perhaps Bolton was leaking things to the media, it was almost certainly for the purposes of trying to manipulate the public into being on-board for some war or another.

Bolton is one of the most notorious war hawks in our lifetime. He never met a war opportunity he didn't like.

Even if the intent behind continuing the investigation was retaliatory, I see the prospect of "Holding Bolton to account for anything wrong he's done or ways he's manipulated the public" as a net good no matter what kind of administration's doing it.

The prior investigation was dropped by the DOJ in 2022 (believe it went as far as invoking a Grand Jury). Why was it dropped? Typically, Federal prosecutors will drop a case when they don't think they can win in court. But that was the DOJ of 2022......

wing2000 · 2025-08-22T11:17:32-0500

BCP1928 said:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Do we know the contents of the warrant and the probable cause which was affirmed?

We probably won't know the answer until the government shows its cards at the first hearing.....meanwhile, a private citizen, who has been openly critical of the Trump administration, has to lawyer up....

I'll be very surprised if the government has anything on him....(sure, Bondi will make a lot of noise but when her prosecutor has to produce in court....we'll see).

BCP1928 · 2025-08-22T11:19:52-0500

wing2000 said:
We probably won't know the answer until the government shows its cards at the first hearing.....meanwhile, a private citizen, who has been openly critical of the Trump administration, has to lawyer up....

I'll be very surprised if the government has anything on him....(sure, Bondi will make a lot of noise but when her prosecutor has to produce in court....we'll see).

Do we even know if the FBI actually found anything to take away?

wing2000 · 2025-08-22T11:26:37-0500

BCP1928 said:
Do we even know if the FBI actually found anything to take away?

Normally, the FBI would be tight lipped.....but I suspect Bondi will be crowing about something by the end of day.

BCP1928 · 2025-08-22T11:32:28-0500

wing2000 said:
Normally, the FBI would be tight lipped.....but I suspect Bondi will be crowing about something by the end of day.

Often in such cases where a crowd has gathered there will be pictures or videos of officers carrying things away--boxes of records, computers, etc. Has anything like that surfaced?

DaisyDay · 2025-08-22T11:33:44-0500

ThatRobGuy said:
Per the NBC article, it sounds like this is the continuation of the investigation that had started back in the previous admin...

If there is any merit to the notion that perhaps Bolton was leaking things to the media, it was almost certainly for the purposes of trying to manipulate the public into being on-board for some war or another.

Of course, he was leaking "things" - that is a time-honored tradition of WH infighting. I believe this leaking tradition intensified under 45/47 as he seems more inclined to listen to Hannity than to his own advisors. Unless what he leaked was confidential, it is not illegal.

ThatRobGuy said:
Bolton is one of the most notorious war hawks in our lifetime. He never met a war opportunity he didn't like.

I know. Weird that compared to the current authoritarianism he should seem soft and reasonable.

ThatRobGuy said:
Even if the intent behind continuing the investigation was retaliatory, I see the prospect of "Holding Bolton to account for anything wrong he's done or ways he's manipulated the public" as a net good no matter what kind of administration's doing it.

I'm not a Bolton fan but he's allowed to manipulate the public. I thought this investigation had to do with his book that was critical of Trump (I haven't read it and probably will not as it is not on my priority list).

BCP1928 · 2025-08-22T11:37:02-0500

ThatRobGuy said:
Per the NBC article, it sounds like this is the continuation of the investigation that had started back in the previous admin...

If there is any merit to the notion that perhaps Bolton was leaking things to the media, it was almost certainly for the purposes of trying to manipulate the public into being on-board for some war or another.

Bolton is one of the most notorious war hawks in our lifetime. He never met a war opportunity he didn't like.

Even if the intent behind continuing the investigation was retaliatory, I see the prospect of "Holding Bolton to account for anything wrong he's done or ways he's manipulated the public" as a net good no matter what kind of administration's doing it.

Still, that's all too vague and conjectural to affirm as probable cause for a search warrant.

durangodawood · 2025-08-22T11:48:52-0500

ThatRobGuy said:
....Bolton is one of the most notorious war hawks in our lifetime. He never met a war opportunity he didn't like.....

Sounds suspicious. Investigate him!

ThatRobGuy · 2025-08-22T13:00:13-0500

durangodawood said:
Sounds suspicious. Investigate him!

Whatever information they had must have indicated something suspicious enough that the previous administration opened an investigation into him.

And whatever it was, it was evidently enough for a judge to sign off on a warrant.

durangodawood · 2025-08-22T13:03:43-0500

ThatRobGuy said:
Whatever information they had must have indicated something suspicious enough that the previous administration opened an investigation into him.

And whatever it was, it was evidently enough for a judge to sign off on a warrant.

Who needs all that? He's a neo con war hawk globalist!

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN · 2025-08-22T13:54:55-0500

John Bolton criticized Trump. That is a big no-no.

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN · 2025-08-22T13:57:06-0500

Oompa Loompa said:
So much for "No one is above the law."

So far Trump is above the law. Anyways, if someone says something negative about Trump. He will get people to turn on them.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-08-22T14:22:08-0500

For whatever it's worth:

According to the BBC coverage:

The search is related to an investigation over classified documents, CBS, the BBC's US news partner, reports.
Trump has said that he doesn't know what Bolton is being investigated for.

"I know nothing about it, I just saw it this morning [that] they did a raid," the president said during a brief press availability near the White House, adding that he'll "probably" be briefed on the investigation and raid later in the day.

FBI raids home of John Bolton, former Trump national security advisor

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