Former Trump Adviser John Bolton Indicted
John Bolton, once a key figure in Donald Trump’s White House, has now become the third high-profile critic of the president to face criminal charges in recent weeks.
On Thursday, federal prosecutors indicted the former national security adviser on 18 counts related to mishandling classified national defense information (NDI)—10 counts of unlawful retention of NDI, and eight counts of transmission of NDI. The charges follow a months-long investigation and an FBI search of Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington D.C. office back in August. Agents reportedly seized multiple documents labeled as “confidential” including materials related to weapons of mass destruction and U.S. strategic communication efforts.
The indictment accuses Bolton of using personal email and messaging apps to transmit sensitive information. According to the Justice Department, the documents he allegedly shared contained “intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign-policy relations.” His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said the case is based on personal diaries, calling them “unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021.”
Bolton, who could face up to 10 years in prison for each charge if convicted, is expected to surrender to authorities soon. In a statement, he maintained his innocence and pushed back hard against the case: “I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power.” He added, “Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he [Trump] deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts.”
This isn’t Bolton’s first run-in with the administration. He was fired in 2019 after clashing with Trump on foreign policy and later published a memoir sharply criticizing the president’s leadership. The White House unsuccessfully tried to block its release, claiming it contained classified information. When asked about the indictment, Trump didn’t offer much: “He’s a bad guy.”
The case has sparked debate inside the Justice Department, with some prosecutors reportedly concerned the case was rushed under pressure from above. But in recent days, officials said they were confident in the evidence and moved forward.
Bolton isn’t alone. He follows former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James—both of whom have also faced recent federal indictments. Comey, fired by Trump in 2017, is charged with lying to Congress and obstruction, while James is accused of bank fraud. Both deny any wrongdoing.
