Former Obama Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Friday on CNN’s “OutFront” that some is targeting “going on” with the FBI raid on the home of former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
Host Erin Burnett said, “So I guess let’s just cut to the bottom line on what’s happened here. Do you believe that the raids on John Bolton’s home and his office are political payback?”
Panetta said, “Well, you know, look, we don’t know all the facts here because we don’t know what the Justice Department said to a magistrate judge in order to get a warrant but when you stand back and you look at the criticism that John Bolton has made and you look at the president and how sensitive. He is about having those criticisms, particularly from somebody who was in his administration. It’s pretty hard not to come to the conclusion that there’s some targeting here going on.”
He added, “John Bolton is a guy who’s got a lot of experience in foreign policy. I don’t agree with everything he says, but he is pretty forthright in what he believes. And you know what? People have a right to be able to say what they want. This is a free country. We do have free speech. President Trump would be the first person to say we should protect the right of free speech.”
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