The Justice Department alleges that Bolton's book, “The Room Where It Happened,” contains classified information, and the government sued in June to try to prevent the release.
Though the book was published, a suit accusing Bolton of breaking agreements with the government by disclosing classified information and by failing to complete a required pre-publication review can proceed, U.S District Judge Royce Lamberth said in a 27-page opinion.
His decision Thursday clears the way for the Justice Department's suit to move forward, including the government's efforts to seize proceeds from the book.
The judge said the government had reasonably shown that Bolton disclosed classified information without first confirming that it was unclassified.
But White House officials later conducted a second review that they said identified classified information still in the book.