The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a criminal investigation into whether former White House national security adviser John BoltonJohn BoltonGary Cohn: ‘I haven’t made up my mind’ on vote for president in November Trump acknowledged downplaying COVID-19 threat, says Woodward book Trump’s battles with military raise risks for November MORE illegally disclosed classified information in his memoir that was released earlier this year, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
The agency has reportedly convened a grand jury and subpoenaed Bolton’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, for records related to communications surrounding the tell-all book, “The Room Where It Happened.”
A formal probe would mark a dramatic escalation over the book, which the White House sought to temporarily block from publication earlier this year, arguing it contained classified information. Bolton’s book also painted the Trump administration in an unflattering light including details of infighting and the president’s foreign policy.
ADVERTISEMENT
The DOJ declined to comment when asked to confirm the investigation.
The Times reports that the investigation was opened after receiving a referral from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John RatcliffeJohn Lee RatcliffeHillicon Valley: Pentagon reaffirms decision to award JEDI contract to Microsoft | Schiff asks officials for briefing on election security threats Schiff asks intel officials to brief House panel on election security threats The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – ‘Dark side’ to ‘Sleepy Joe,’ Biden-Trump trade barbs in swing states MORE.
When the White House filed an emergency restraining order to halt the book from being published, the application included declarations from top U.S. intelligence and national security officials, including Ratcliffe and National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone.
“The type of classified information in these passages is the type of information that foreign adversaries of the United States seek to obtain, at great cost, through covert intelligence,” Ratcliffe wrote his signed declaration.
“Unauthorized disclosure of these types of classified information could reveal, in some instances, the limits and, in some instances, the capabilities of U.S. intelligence collection and would cause irreparable damage to national security,” Trump’s intelligence chief continued.
ADVERTISEMENT
A week prior to the book’s public release, news outlets including The Hill published details about the book that included explosive allegations that President TrumpDonald John TrumpDemocrats, advocates seethe over Florida voting rights ruling Russian jets identified in Trump campaign ad calling for support for the troops Democratic Senate candidate ‘hesitant’ to get COVID-19 vaccine if approved this year MORE asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help him get a competitive edge in the upcoming presidential race against former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenDemocrats, advocates seethe over Florida voting rights ruling Trump order on drug prices faces long road to finish line There’s no debate: America needs an equitable and resilient government MORE, the then-presumptive Democratic nominee, by advocating that Beijing make more purchases of U.S. soybeans and wheat to help his electoral chances with U.S. farmers.
At the time, Bolton’s publisher slammed the lawsuit in a statement, calling it “the latest in a long running series of efforts by the Administration to quash publication of a book it deems unflattering to the President.”
A representative for Bolton declined to comment on the reported DOJ probe.