DOJ Pushing Bolton Charges This Week

Senior leaders at the U.S. Justice Department are urging swift charges against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, despite hesitation from prosecutors who believe more investigation is necessary, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The move comes a week after the administration pushed out the top federal prosecutor in Virginia, angry that the department was not moving faster to prosecute Trump critics including Bolton and former FBI Director James Comey, and represents an escalation in Trump's efforts to use the power of the Justice Department to seek retribution.

Prosecutors in the Maryland U.S. Attorney's office, which is leading the Bolton probe, and attorneys from the department's National Security Division are pushing back against pressure from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's office, said the people, granted anonymity to discuss internal department dynamics.

Looking for Espionage Act Violations

The FBI searched Bolton's Maryland home and Washington office in August seeking evidence of possible violations of the Espionage Act, according to a partially unsealed search warrant filed in federal court.

Agents found records in Bolton's office labeled "confidential," including documents that referenced weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. mission to the United Nations and other materials related to the U.S. government’s strategic communications, unsealed court records show.