Vice President Vance is hinting at a broader probe into former national security advisor and United Nations ambassador John Bolton, after his home was searched by the FBI on Friday. Mr. Bolton is now being investigated for possible use of classified information for his tell-all book about his time as President Trump’s top national security aide. 

Mr. Bolton became a fierce critic of Mr. Trump after he departed the White House in 2019 following his 17-month stint as national security adviser, arguing that the president was appeasing hostile foreign powers like North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela with his America First agenda. The Justice Department sued to block the release of Mr. Bolton’s 2020 book, “The Room Where It Happened,” claiming that Mr. Bolton had not gone through the necessary national security reviews, even though the National Security Council had signed off. 

The lawsuit was later dropped during the Biden administration. 

Speaking candidly about an ongoing investigation, Mr. Vance says that the Trump administration now has “broad” concern about Mr. Bolton’s memoir, though he declined to offer specifics. He says that the classified documents worries are only “part” of the potential investigation into the former top White House aide. 

“We’re in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation into John Bolton. I will say, we’re gonna let that investigation proceed,” Mr. Vance said on “Meet the Press” Sunday. 

“If we think that Ambassador Bolton has committed a crime, of course, eventually prosecutions will come,” he said. “This is all part of gathering evidence, trying to understand something that we’re worried about, and of course, I’ll let the FBI comment on the next stage of the investigation.”

Mr. Vance assured viewers that no charges would come unless there was concrete evidence of criminal activity. 

“Classified documents are certainly part of it, but I think that there’s a broad concern about Ambassador Bolton. They’re gonna look into it, and like I said, if there’s no crime here, we’re not gonna prosecute it,” the vice president told host Kristen Welker. 

“Our focus here is on: Did he break the law? Did he commit crimes against the American people?” Mr. Vance wondered aloud. 

While Mr. Bolton’s home was being searched on Friday, conservatives heaped praise on the Justice Department and FBI while opponents expressed concern over the president’s use of “lawfare.” 

“NO ONE is above the law,” FBI director Kash Patel posted on X shortly after the news of the search of Mr. Bolton’s home was reported. “FBI agents on mission.” 

“Today’s raid is an obvious act of intimidation, and another example of the double standards this president is applying as he puts himself and his cronies above the law, and weaponizes it against his perceived enemies,” said the former special counsel who led the House impeachment of Mr. Trump in 2020, Norm Eisen.

A federal magistrate judge in Maryland signed the warrant to search Mr. Bolton’s home, while a second magistrate judge at the District of Columbia signed the search warrant for his office. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told “Fox News Sunday” that the Trump administration has a responsibility to disclose to the public what new information they learned that warranted the searches and ongoing investigation, given the case was litigated and then dropped more than four years ago. 

“We have to see what this affidavit says,” Mr. Turley said. “According to the governing rules, you can’t rely on stale information.”

“The question is: What’s evergreen in this affidavit? What is the new information that’s a bit stale that led to this move at this time? The burden’s gonna be on the Trump administration, politically,” he said.