Former Deputy National Security Adviser Victoria Coates told Newsmax on Saturday that she was “surprised” by the Friday morning FBI raid on the home and office of John Bolton, the former national security adviser under President Donald Trump.
“I always knew Ambassador Bolton to be meticulous in his treatment of classified information,” Coates told “America Right Now.”
She added that her experience managing sensitive government records underscored the seriousness of the matter.
“If that was violated, as FBI Director Kash Patel said yesterday, nobody should be above the law. These are state secrets. They need to be protected,” said Coates.
Federal agents searched Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office as part of an investigation into his handling of classified documents.
The search began around 7 a.m. ET and was authorized by Patel. While no arrests were made, the operation revived scrutiny over Bolton’s retention of government records following earlier disputes about his 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.”
The Justice Department previously examined whether Bolton disclosed classified information in the book, though that probe was later dropped. The latest search indicates a renewed focus on his records and whether proper procedures were followed after he left government service.
Trump, who had a contentious relationship with Bolton after his exit from the administration, has denied prior knowledge of the raid.
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