Washington
FBI seized documents labeled classified from John Bolton’s office
Federal agents seized multiple documents labeled “classified,” “confidential” and “secret” from the office of former national security adviser John Bolton as part of an investigation into whether Bolton mishandled defense records, according to court filings that were unsealed on Tuesday.
The seized documents marked as confidential appear to be about weapons of mass destruction, national “strategic communication” and the U.S. mission to the United Nations, investigators wrote in a cataloged list of what was collected during the search in late August. The list did not specify when the documents are from. The FBI also seized phones and computer equipment at the time.
More than a dozen pages in the affidavit have partial or full redactions. It is not clear what exactly the documents contained or why they were marked secret, confidential and classified.
Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Bolton, said in a statement Wednesday the documents didn’t indicate any wrongdoing. He added that many of the documents were decades old, from Bolton’s long career in the State Department, as an assistant attorney general and as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
“An objective and thorough review will show nothing inappropriate was stored or kept by Amb. Bolton,” Lowell said.
Bolton served for 17 months as national security adviser during Trump’s first term, clashing with him over Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea before getting ousted in 2019. He has subsequently criticized Trump’s approach to foreign policy and government, including in a 2020 book, “The Room Where it Happened,” that portrayed the president as ill-informed on foreign policy.
The search warrant affidavit says a National Security Council official had reviewed the book manuscript and told Bolton in 2020 that it appeared to contain “significant amounts” of classified information, some at a top-secret level.
Bolton’s attorney said that many of the documents seized in August had been approved as part of a pre-publication review for Bolton’s book.
Bolton is the latest of Trump’s political adversaries to find themselves targeted by federal investigators. Prosecutors have also launched criminal inquiries into New York Attorney General Letitia James, California Sen. Adam Schiff and former FBI director James B. Comey.
Florida
A mother’s fear led to the arrest of a man accused of setting fire to a Jewish center
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — A man accused of arson at a Chabad Jewish Center in southwest Florida last week has been arrested after his mother told a relative she feared he set the fire, prosecutors said Thursday.
Blake Hoover faces a federal arson charge in the fire at the Chabad Jewish Center in Punta Gorda late Friday, a few days before the Jewish New Year, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office. The center has a Hebrew school and a community synagogue.
Hoover’s aunt contacted the Punta Gorda Police Department after Hoover’s mother told her that she feared he was responsible for the arson at the synagogue. The mother later told investigators that Hoover hated Jews and gay people and that his hatred had become worse in recent years, according to the criminal complaint.
Hoover had recently told his mother that he was going to burn down the Jewish center, a former library, after discovering what it was being used for now. On the night of the arson, the mother called Hoover and asked him not to burn anything down after she discovered a gas can missing when he left the house, the criminal complaint said.
Fire investigators believe Hoover entered the center by breaking a back window and set fire to flammable items inside using gasoline. Investigators also found the letter “J” spray-painted on the sidewalk outside the center and on a concrete wall on the building’s side, according to a criminal complaint.
The mother “noted that Hoover always talks about Jews as ‘Js,’” the complaint said.
Investigators found a gas can and a black spray-paint can after executing a search warrant on their home, according to authorities.
New York
Judge plans speedy ruling on whether charges can be dropped against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge said Thursday he’ll rule “very shortly” whether to toss out two prostitution-related charges that Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted of in July or to move forward with a sentencing planned for next week.
Judge Arun Subramanian listened to nearly 90 minutes of arguments by lawyers over whether the charges were properly brought against the Grammy-winning hip-hop producer.
Combs, 55, is scheduled to be sentenced next week in Manhattan federal court for his conviction on two counts alleging that he arranged interstate travel for people engaged in prostitution.
Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro urged the judge to toss out two violations of the Mann Act that resulted in conviction. The jury acquitted him of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Prosecutors said he arranged for paid sexual encounters between male sex workers and his girlfriends, some of whom testified about being beaten, kicked and choked by Combs.
Shapiro argued that Combs cannot be held responsible for financing and helping to arrange the transportation domestically and internationally for elaborate sex performances that he frequently filmed over a 15-year period.
Christy Slavik, a prosecutor argued that the jury verdict should stand, saying it was in the public interest to prevent prostitution, particularly when it involves the kind of violence and drugs that occurred when Combs was involved.
As he entered the courtroom, a smiling Combs waved to his supporters and touched his heart before taking his seat among several lawyers. He did not speak during the hearing except to greet the judge.
Subramanian has denied bail for the Bad Boy Records founder after he was convicted of prostitution-related charges in July.
Combs will have been jailed for nearly 13 months when he is sentenced Oct. 3.
His lawyers argued in court papers submitted this week that he should be sentenced to no more than 14 months in prison. With credit for good behavior, that would mean he would be released immediately.
Prosecutors have said they believe he should spend at least several more years behind bars, although they won’t submit their sentencing recommendations to the judge until next week.
The judge has signaled that he, too, is leaning toward a substantial amount of prison time, twice refusing to grant bail since the jury returned its verdict, citing Combs’ history of violence.
FBI seized documents labeled classified from John Bolton’s office
Federal agents seized multiple documents labeled “classified,” “confidential” and “secret” from the office of former national security adviser John Bolton as part of an investigation into whether Bolton mishandled defense records, according to court filings that were unsealed on Tuesday.
The seized documents marked as confidential appear to be about weapons of mass destruction, national “strategic communication” and the U.S. mission to the United Nations, investigators wrote in a cataloged list of what was collected during the search in late August. The list did not specify when the documents are from. The FBI also seized phones and computer equipment at the time.
More than a dozen pages in the affidavit have partial or full redactions. It is not clear what exactly the documents contained or why they were marked secret, confidential and classified.
Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Bolton, said in a statement Wednesday the documents didn’t indicate any wrongdoing. He added that many of the documents were decades old, from Bolton’s long career in the State Department, as an assistant attorney general and as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
“An objective and thorough review will show nothing inappropriate was stored or kept by Amb. Bolton,” Lowell said.
Bolton served for 17 months as national security adviser during Trump’s first term, clashing with him over Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea before getting ousted in 2019. He has subsequently criticized Trump’s approach to foreign policy and government, including in a 2020 book, “The Room Where it Happened,” that portrayed the president as ill-informed on foreign policy.
The search warrant affidavit says a National Security Council official had reviewed the book manuscript and told Bolton in 2020 that it appeared to contain “significant amounts” of classified information, some at a top-secret level.
Bolton’s attorney said that many of the documents seized in August had been approved as part of a pre-publication review for Bolton’s book.
Bolton is the latest of Trump’s political adversaries to find themselves targeted by federal investigators. Prosecutors have also launched criminal inquiries into New York Attorney General Letitia James, California Sen. Adam Schiff and former FBI director James B. Comey.
Florida
A mother’s fear led to the arrest of a man accused of setting fire to a Jewish center
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — A man accused of arson at a Chabad Jewish Center in southwest Florida last week has been arrested after his mother told a relative she feared he set the fire, prosecutors said Thursday.
Blake Hoover faces a federal arson charge in the fire at the Chabad Jewish Center in Punta Gorda late Friday, a few days before the Jewish New Year, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office. The center has a Hebrew school and a community synagogue.
Hoover’s aunt contacted the Punta Gorda Police Department after Hoover’s mother told her that she feared he was responsible for the arson at the synagogue. The mother later told investigators that Hoover hated Jews and gay people and that his hatred had become worse in recent years, according to the criminal complaint.
Hoover had recently told his mother that he was going to burn down the Jewish center, a former library, after discovering what it was being used for now. On the night of the arson, the mother called Hoover and asked him not to burn anything down after she discovered a gas can missing when he left the house, the criminal complaint said.
Fire investigators believe Hoover entered the center by breaking a back window and set fire to flammable items inside using gasoline. Investigators also found the letter “J” spray-painted on the sidewalk outside the center and on a concrete wall on the building’s side, according to a criminal complaint.
The mother “noted that Hoover always talks about Jews as ‘Js,’” the complaint said.
Investigators found a gas can and a black spray-paint can after executing a search warrant on their home, according to authorities.
New York
Judge plans speedy ruling on whether charges can be dropped against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge said Thursday he’ll rule “very shortly” whether to toss out two prostitution-related charges that Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted of in July or to move forward with a sentencing planned for next week.
Judge Arun Subramanian listened to nearly 90 minutes of arguments by lawyers over whether the charges were properly brought against the Grammy-winning hip-hop producer.
Combs, 55, is scheduled to be sentenced next week in Manhattan federal court for his conviction on two counts alleging that he arranged interstate travel for people engaged in prostitution.
Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro urged the judge to toss out two violations of the Mann Act that resulted in conviction. The jury acquitted him of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Prosecutors said he arranged for paid sexual encounters between male sex workers and his girlfriends, some of whom testified about being beaten, kicked and choked by Combs.
Shapiro argued that Combs cannot be held responsible for financing and helping to arrange the transportation domestically and internationally for elaborate sex performances that he frequently filmed over a 15-year period.
Christy Slavik, a prosecutor argued that the jury verdict should stand, saying it was in the public interest to prevent prostitution, particularly when it involves the kind of violence and drugs that occurred when Combs was involved.
As he entered the courtroom, a smiling Combs waved to his supporters and touched his heart before taking his seat among several lawyers. He did not speak during the hearing except to greet the judge.
Subramanian has denied bail for the Bad Boy Records founder after he was convicted of prostitution-related charges in July.
Combs will have been jailed for nearly 13 months when he is sentenced Oct. 3.
His lawyers argued in court papers submitted this week that he should be sentenced to no more than 14 months in prison. With credit for good behavior, that would mean he would be released immediately.
Prosecutors have said they believe he should spend at least several more years behind bars, although they won’t submit their sentencing recommendations to the judge until next week.
The judge has signaled that he, too, is leaning toward a substantial amount of prison time, twice refusing to grant bail since the jury returned its verdict, citing Combs’ history of violence.
