DOJ drops Trump's investigation and lawsuit claiming John Bolton shared classified info in memoir: report

The Justice Department has closed its criminal investigation into whether a memoir by former President Donald Trump's national security adviser, John R. Bolton, illegally shared classified information, The New York Times reports.

A lawsuit filed by the DOJ to recoup the book's potential profits has also been dropped.

"The agreement ends an effort that began under the Trump administration to silence Mr. Bolton and sue him over the book's profits. Ending both the inquiry and the lawsuit is a clear rebuke by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland of the Trump Justice Department's tactics in the matter," the Times' Michael Schmidt and Katie Benner write.

The report also states that a settlement by the DOJ is "likely to shield Trump administration officials from being forced to answer questions under oath about their time in office."

Read the full report over at The New York Times.