Ms. Knight, a government classification expert, said she was assigned to the National Archives and Records Administration, despite previous expectations that she would take up a permanent position at the National Security Council after refusing it. A series of federal officials, including the director of the F.B.I., alleged that they were dismissed or transferred to climate scientists during President Trump's presidency as part of an effort to punish or silence them. In particular, few people in career positions like Mr. Knight have regained their posts. Peter Strzok, an agent investigating Trump's relationship with Russia and the use of Hillary Clinton's personal email account, is suing the federal government to regain his job at the FBI as a top counterintelligence investigator. When Strzok was fired, Trump administration officials claimed he was fired for sending a text message showing political prejudice. 

Knight's disclosure of how the Trump White House treated Bolton's book came to light in a long letter sent in September 2020. The judge overseeing the proceedings filed by the Justice Department claimed a trial to regain the interests of Bolton. The letter upheld the allegations by Mr. Bolton's lawyer Charles J. Cooper that the criminal investigation against Mr. Bolton and the proceedings filed by the Justice Department were political motivations. Ultimately, their disclosure helped Biden's Justice Department withdraw both issues against Mr Bolton. Attempts to use Trump's rating to silence  Bolton  occurred during Trump's first impeachment,  Knight  told a federal judge.