John Bolton Charged with Sharing Classified Information

Reuters

John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.

John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, has been indicted on multiple counts of sharing and retaining classified information, marking another major legal development involving one of the president’s critics.

The indictment, filed in a federal court in Maryland, accuses Bolton of unlawfully transmitting sensitive national defence information to two of his relatives between 2018 and 2025 for potential use in a book project. The charges include eight counts of transmission and ten counts of retention of national defence information under the Espionage Act — each carrying a possible sentence of up to ten years’ imprisonment.

According to prosecutors, Bolton shared notes containing intelligence from high-level government meetings, discussions with foreign leaders, and classified briefings. In electronic messages cited in the indictment, Bolton and his relatives — reportedly his wife and daughter — allegedly discussed using this information in his writing. He referred to them as his “editors” and mentioned speaking with his publisher about their “right of first refusal”.

Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and one of President Trump’s most outspoken critics, denied any wrongdoing. “I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power,” Bolton said in a statement. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, likewise rejected the allegations, insisting Bolton had not improperly shared or stored any classified material.

The Justice Department’s case against Bolton follows a string of prosecutions targeting figures who have publicly opposed President Trump. Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James have also faced criminal charges in recent months, both of which they deny. Critics argue these cases reflect a broader politicisation of the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The investigation into Bolton began in 2022, before President Trump’s return to the White House. Officials familiar with the matter said the case is considered more substantial than those brought against Comey and James.

The indictment further alleges that a cyber actor linked to Iran hacked Bolton’s personal email after he left government service, accessing classified information. Although Bolton’s representatives notified authorities of the breach, prosecutors claim he failed to disclose that he had stored classified data in the compromised account.

Bolton’s indictment also underscores growing scrutiny over the handling of sensitive information within U.S. political circles. Earlier this year, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth faced criticism after reportedly sharing details of a planned military strike on Yemen’s Houthi forces in a private messaging group. However, no criminal investigation was pursued in that case.

President Trump, asked about the charges against Bolton, said simply: “He’s a bad guy.”

Source: Reuters



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