The Department of Justice drops their criminal investigation and lawsuit against John Bolton for his 2020 tell-all book.
What We Know:
- Last year Bolton, former President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, released a tell-all book titled, The Room Where It Happened. The DOJ under Trump’s administration sued Bolton for allegedly publishing classified information and failing to complete the pre-publication review.
- The book gave a behind-the-scenes look into Trump’s handling of foreign affairs, like asking China’s President Xi Jinping to help with his re-election campaign. The DOJ wanted Bolton to halt the book’s production and give all funds received from copies already sold to them.
- Despite the lawsuit and criminal investigation, Bolton went through with releasing the book ahead of the 2020 election after Ellen Knight, a White House National Security Council official, released a statement that his book no longer included confidential information. According to AP, Knight stated that the Trump administration “exerted political pressure to block the book” and used “an unusual process of delay tactics and legal maneuverings.” After failing to stop the book’s publication, the DOJ opened a criminal investigation and subpoenaed Bolton’s publisher and literary agent for their communication records.
- President Joe Biden’s DOJ dropped the year-long investigation and lawsuit after determining that it was a way for the Trump administration to use government power to suppress former pro-Trump officials who were now anti-Trump.
- Charles J. Cooper, Bolton’s lawyer, stated, “we are very pleased that the Department of Justice has dismissed with prejudice its civil lawsuit against Ambassador Bolton and has terminated grand jury proceedings. We argued from the outset that neither action was justifiable, because they were initiated only as a result of President Trump’s politically motivated order to prevent publication of the Ambassador’s book before the 2020 election.”
- Bolton had recently received approval from a federal judge that he could begin deposing those who worked under Trump. They would have had to testify about how Trump forced them to go after Bolton and how his book was handled.
- Along with dropping the lawsuit, the DOJ informed Bolton that they intend to receive no money from the books he sold, nor will they attempt to sue him again over his book. Bolton has claimed that if he releases another book, he will turn over his information to be checked for national security violations.
Advisors of the Biden administration feel like the dropping of this lawsuit was for the best, and the administration should instead set its sights towards the pre-publication review process.
