The NYT and WSJ are reporting that the DOJ has opened a criminal investigation into whether former National Security Adviser John Bolton disclosed classified information in his recently published book:
Sept. 15 (New York Times) — The Justice Dept. is investigating whether a tell-all book by John Bolton, the former national security adviser, disclosed classified information.
— Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) September 15, 2020
According to reports, a grand jury has been convened and subpoenas issued:
NEWS: Federal prosecutors issued grand jury subpoenas to former national security adviser John Bolton’s publisher and literary agent on Monday launching a criminal investigation into whether Mr. Bolton mishandled classified information. https://t.co/QGb5yptx00
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) September 15, 2020
But before you start accusing the DOJ of retaliation. . .
Recommended
This sure looks like retaliation against Bolton for speaking out against Trump. But Bolton put himself at risk and had to expect this was a potential outcome. https://t.co/1Z7jfAoxVh
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) September 15, 2020
. . .note that this was “completely inevitable”:
Completely inevitable when he published without formally completing the prepub review. https://t.co/4NI5tjoKYr
— Pwn All The Things (@pwnallthethings) September 15, 2020
And “any DOJ of the last god-knows-how-many-admins would be on your doorstep”:
Can argue whether the prepub review was slow-rolled pretextually (as opposed to its boringly bureaucratic and non-pretextual slow-rolling). But you abandon prepub review and publish anyway, then any DOJ of the last god-knows-how-many-admins would be on your doorstep, APNSA or no.
— Pwn All The Things (@pwnallthethings) September 15, 2020
We assume Bolton knew this was a possibility, or should have known:
Anyway, tldr is "how on earth did bolton think this would end differently to this"
— Pwn All The Things (@pwnallthethings) September 15, 2020
It can get more entertaining, however:
We're going to have some truly upside-down surreal litigation over it tho. Once in a trillion-year solar event where ACLU and Bolton might be on the same side
— Pwn All The Things (@pwnallthethings) September 15, 2020
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