White House bars Bolton from releasing book, cites 'top secret' material

The National Security Council said after preliminary review of the manuscript that it contained "significant amounts of classified information."

The White House on Wednesday said that former national security advisor John Bolton cannot publish in its current form a book reportedly containing explosive evidence concerning President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.

The National Security Council said after preliminary review of the manuscript -- a vetting process applied to any White House employees writing books -- that it contained "significant amounts of classified information."

"Some of this information is at the TOP SECRET level," the NSC said in a letter to Bolton's lawyer Charles Cooper, adding that "the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information.