FBI Searches John Bolton's Home and Office in a Classified-Records Investigation

On August 22, 2025, FBI agents executed court-authorized searches of former national security adviser John Bolton's home in Bethesda, Maryland, and his Washington office as part of an investigation into his handling of classified information. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media that agents were "on mission" and that "NO ONE is above the law," without naming Bolton. No charges had been filed against Bolton at the time of the searches.

Bolton has been one of the most prominent Republican critics of the president since leaving the first Trump administration. On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump revoked Bolton's security clearance and days later withdrew his government security detail, calling him a "very dumb person." A criminal search of a named critic's home, publicized by the FBI director, raises the question of whether investigative decisions are being driven by the subject's political posture, regardless of the underlying merits of the classified-records inquiry.

Bolton had previously described the administration as "a retribution presidency." The searches came alongside reported federal scrutiny of other Trump critics, including Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. A federal grand jury in Maryland later indicted Bolton on charges of mishandling classified information.