By Cnn/ Wikimedia Commons,Frank Yemi

Copyright inquisitr

Federal agents say they found classified material sitting inside John Bolton’s Washington, D.C., office, the latest twist in a probe shadowing one of Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics. Court records unsealed this week show the FBI recovered documents labeled “secret” and “confidential,” along with files touching on weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and strategic government communications.

The same day, August 22, agents also searched Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, and reported no sensitive paper files there. Electronics were seized at both locations for review.

🚨 BREAKING: FBI agents found classified documents during a search of former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s Washington, D.C. office last month.
The materials reportedly referenced weapons of mass destruction, the United States mission to the United Nations, and… pic.twitter.com/1UuNwMjdFk
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) September 24, 2025

The inventory from Bolton’s office reads like a classification sampler, folders marked “confidential” containing pages labeled “secret,” plus travel memos stamped with restrictions. The Justice Department requested the searches as part of a probe into potential violations involving unauthorized retention of national defense information and removal of classified material from secure channels. The filings do not specify exactly how many documents were recovered, but the labels alone signal exposure risk that prosecutors take seriously.

Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser in 2018 and 2019 before an ugly split, then went public with a memoir that the Trump administration tried and failed to block, accusing him of revealing sensitive content. A federal judge declined to stop publication and sharply criticized Bolton’s judgment, while warning he could face civil or criminal exposure. That earlier controversy now hangs over the new investigation like a storm cloud, giving critics a handy narrative and giving Bolton’s team a tougher media environment to navigate.

It’s not the role of the United States to mediate between the aggressor and the victim, which in this case is clearly Ukraine. We must take the leading role, not wait for Europe or give Putin a free hand. pic.twitter.com/BsLCSbfb2A
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) September 24, 2025

The August 22 searches unfolded at dawn, a timing choice the FBI routinely uses to minimize confrontation and preserve evidence. Cameras caught agents outside Bolton’s home as they carried in boxes and later departed, while separate teams swept his downtown office. Federal officials have not announced charges, and they emphasized that the activity was court authorized and focused on records handling, not politics.

Bolton has hammered Trump for years, positioning himself as a nemesis in interviews and in his books. That makes any movement in a classified documents probe an instant cable news brawl, with Bolton’s detractors framing the discovery as proof of hypocrisy and supporters warning against selective prosecution. The FBI and Justice Department insist the standards are the same regardless of the figure involved, a point that has become a refrain in the classified records era.

For now, the known facts are straightforward, agents say they found documents in Bolton’s office that carried classification markings, they say they did not find sensitive papers at his home, and they took devices for forensic review. Investigators will trace how the files left secure systems, whether any were shared, and whether intent or negligence is in play. Those answers decide everything, from a quiet case closure to civil penalties to a criminal referral.

Bolton’s camp has kept public comments to a minimum, while media outlets continue to pry loose affidavits and inventories that fill in the blanks. Until prosecutors make a decision, the story is a stark reminder that the rules for handling classified material do not care about book tours or talk show bookings, and that a single “secret” stamp in the wrong place can ignite a legal fire that burns hot and fast.