U.S. federal investigators began scrutinizing former national security adviser John Bolton years ago after intelligence officials concluded his personal email had likely been compromised by a foreign actor — with Iran emerging as the prime suspect, according to officials familiar with the matter.
That suspicion ultimately fueled a series of searches carried out by the FBI this summer. Agents executed warrants at Bolton’s residence in Maryland as well as his office in Washington, D.C., seizing a cache of government documents during the raids. Court filings show agents recovered materials stamped “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including records tied to weapons of mass destruction.
The compromised AOL account was specifically cited in court documents as one of the driving factors behind the August search of Bolton’s home. Investigators believed the breach raised serious security concerns about how sensitive material may have been accessed or handled.
The case has continued to develop in recent weeks as officials update their filings with additional details surrounding the searches and the intelligence assessment that launched the probe.