DOJ drops probe into John Bolton's book

The U.S. Justice Department has closed its criminal investigation into John Bolton's book, his lawyer said Wednesday, and dropped a civil lawsuit.

The book, titled "The Room Where It Happened," was highly critical of former president Donald Trump, who fired Bolton from his post as national security adviser in September 2019.

The civil lawsuit sought to recover money Bolton made from the book, according to federal court documents.

Under Trump, the DOJ launched a criminal investigation into whether Bolton mishandled classified information when he published the book.

That came after their unsuccessful court order to prevent Bolton from publishing it, arguing that the book's classified information could threaten national security.

After losing their request for an injunction, the DOJ pursued a civil lawsuit seeking to recover money from the memoir's sales.

In a statement, Bolton's attorney said quote "By ending these proceedings without in any way penalizing Ambassador Bolton or limiting his proceeds from the book, the Department of Justice has tacitly acknowledged that President Trump and his White House officials acted illegitimately."

Bolton's spokesperson called the DOJ's reversal a "complete vindication."

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.