John Bolton, the former national security adviser who once championed Donald Trump’s foreign policy before becoming one of his fiercest critics, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents and sharing sensitive information with family members.
An 18-count indictment unsealed Thursday accuses Bolton of keeping highly classified records at his Maryland home and distributing diary-like notes containing restricted intelligence. Prosecutors also linked the case to a 2021 cyber intrusion traced to Iranian operatives who allegedly accessed materials Bolton had shared via email. Although he alerted the FBI to the breach, prosecutors say he failed to disclose that classified content had been transmitted through the compromised account.
The charges mark a dramatic turn for the longtime Republican foreign policy hawk. Bolton, who served just over a year as Trump’s national security adviser before his 2019 dismissal, has since emerged as one of the former president’s most outspoken critics. The investigation—launched before Trump’s return to office—intensified after FBI agents raided Bolton’s home and Washington office in August.
According to the indictment, Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of sensitive materials with two relatives, including intelligence about foreign threats and U.S. espionage methods. One file allegedly detailed an adversary’s missile launch plans; another described a covert American operation and attributed an attack to a hostile power.
Bolton called the charges politically motivated. “Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” he said, accusing Trump of an “intensive effort” to “intimidate his opponents.”
He didn’t mention that the charges followed an investigation that began during the Biden administration.
His attorney, Abbe Lowell, argued the matter had already been investigated and closed. “These charges stem from portions of Amb. Bolton’s personal diaries over his 45-year career — records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021,” Lowell said. “Like many public officials throughout history, Amb. Bolton kept diaries — that is not a crime.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the prosecution, insisting that “there is one tier of justice for all Americans” and that “anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable.”
Bolton’s handling of classified material has been a flashpoint since his 2020 memoir The Room Where It Happened, which depicted Trump as dangerously uninformed on foreign policy. The Trump administration claimed the book contained secrets; Bolton’s team said a National Security Council reviewer had cleared it. The current case cites a 2020 NSC assessment concluding the draft still included top-secret information.
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Just looking at Bolton you know HE IS A SNAke. HE DESERVES THE MOST SEVERE PUNISHMENT POSSIBLE.
Prosecute Bolton &all allies