The home of former US National Security Adviser John Bolton is being subjected to a search by federal agents, according to an unnamed source who spoke with the AP news agency on condition of anonymity. 

The FBI is searching Bolton's home as part of an investigation into handling of classified documents, the source has said.

A journalist affiliated with AFP news agency reported witnessing FBI agents entering Bolton's home in Bethesda, Maryland, located outside of Washington DC. 

The New York Times reported that the case was related to whether Bolton "illegally shared or possessed classified information."

Bolton has not been detained or charged with any crime, the AP source said. 

Trump's FBI director ordered search

The mass circulation New York Post daily, which broke the story, said the search was ordered by FBI director Kash Patel.

The FBI head posted on X Friday morning that FBI agents were "on mission." 

Patel was appointed by Trump shortly after taking office and is seen as a close ally of the president.

However, his critics claim Patel  lacks experience to lead the FBI, and point to his previous statements about going after Trump's political enemies.

Trump himself was under indicted by a Florida court for retaining classified documents at his private Mar-a-Lago beach club. That case was dropped in 2024 after Trump was elected. Patel had given interviews blasting the raids by federal agents on Trump's residence related to the case. 

Bolton — Trump adviser turned Trump critic

John Bolton served as national security adviser during the first term of Donald Trump, but has since turned into an outspoken critic of the US president, often questioning the president's mental aptitude. 

Since leaving the first Trump administration, Bolton has been widely critical of Trump and his policies, especially on the second administration's handling of the war in Ukraine.

During an interview with DW in June, Bolton said he believes Vladimir Putin perceives Trump as a "useful idiot."

"He doesn't know history, he doesn't read briefing papers," Bolton said, referring to Trump. 

In a DW interview yesterday, Bolton said Trump did not understand the situation on the ground in Ukraine, assuming that he could "bounce Ukraine and Russia into a peace deal in a couple of weeks and therefore get the Nobel Prize for it." 

In 2020, the last year of Trump's first term, the US Justice Department sued Bolton to try and block the publication of his tell-all book alleging mass dysfunction at the White House during his stint as national security adviser from 2018-2019.

The lawsuit was dropped in 2021 after Joe Biden took office.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic