Justice Department drops lawsuit, grand jury investigation regarding John Bolton's book

The Department of Justice has ditched its lawsuit targeting John Bolton in connection with the former national security adviser's book that officials contended contained classified material, according to court documents and Bolton's representatives.

The Associated Press reported that prosecutors have also dropped a grand jury probe regarding the work's publication, according to Bolton's lawyer.

The Trump administration sued in 2020 to obstruct the release of Bolton's book titled "The Room Where It Happened" and to recover copies of the work which had already been disbursed.

"These actions represent a complete vindication for Ambassador Bolton, and a repudiation of former President Trump's attempt, under the pretext of protecting classified information, first to suppress the book's publication and when that failed in court, to penalize the ambassador," Bolton spokesperson Sarah Tinsley said, according to the outlet.

In addition to suing Bolton the DOJ had initiated a criminal probe regarding the book, but that inquiry has been abandoned, according to Bolton's representatives.

"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 lawyer Charles Cooper said in a statement, according to the AP.