Federal Bureau of Investigation agents carried out court-authorized searches on Friday, Aug. 22, at the Bethesda, Maryland, home and Washington, D.C., office of former National Security Adviser John Bolton. The operation, which lasted roughly seven to eight hours at the residence, is part of an investigation into whether Bolton improperly retained or disclosed classified material, according to the Associated Press and other U.S. media outlets. No arrests were made, but agents were seen removing boxes of documents. People briefed on the matter told several news organizations that the warrant was supported by intelligence gathered overseas by the Central Intelligence Agency. While the main focus is believed to be the handling of classified documents dating to Bolton’s tenure in the Trump White House, Fox News, Mainichi Shimbun and other outlets reported that investigators are also examining whether the former adviser received substantial foreign payments or otherwise profited by trafficking in U.S. intelligence. The Justice Department and the FBI have declined public comment on the scope of the probe. President Donald Trump, who has feuded with Bolton since dismissing him in 2019, said he learned of the raid from press reports and derided his onetime aide as “unpatriotic,” while noting that his own residence was searched in 2022 in a separate records case. Vice President JD Vance told NBC’s Meet the Press the Bolton inquiry is in its early stages and “not at all” politically motivated. Bolton, who has not been charged, has previously accused the Trump administration of pursuing a “retribution presidency.” The search revives questions about the use of federal law-enforcement powers against former officials and critics of the president. Legal analysts say prosecutors must now decide whether evidence gathered during the raid supports charges under statutes governing classified information or public corruption. Until then, Bolton remains free as the Justice Department reviews the material seized.