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By Jenna Sundel and Amanda Castro
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John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, was indicted on Thursday on charges of illegally storing and transmitting classified information.
Why It Matters
Bolton became a vocal critic of Trump after leaving the administration in 2019. The investigation into Bolton began before Trump's second term.
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Other critics of the president have recently been indicted on federal charges. Prosecutors are accusing former FBI Director James Comey of lying to Congress and New York Attorney General Letitia James of committing bank fraud and making a false statement. Both deny the accusations.
What To Know
Bolton was indicted on 18 counts, eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of retention of national defense information, according to the indictment obtained by PBS.
The case was filed by U.S. Maryland Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who had been a career prosecutor in the office before being elevated to the current job.
The indictment alleges that Bolton sent "diary-like entries" to two individuals, who are not named in the document but whose identities are known by the grand jury, containing information classified up to the top secret level. Prosecutors allege that this activity happened from on or about April 9, 2018, to on or about September 15, 2019.
The indictment alleges that Bolton sent these individuals information from his personal non-governmental email accounts, such as ones hosted by AOL and Google.
Prosecutors also suggest that classified information was exposed when operatives believed to be linked to the Iranian regime hacked Bolton’s email account in 2021. A Bolton representative told the FBI his emails had been hacked, but did not reveal that he had shared classified information through the account, the indictment alleges.
When was John Bolton's House and Office Raided by the FBI?
The FBI searched Bolton's Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office in August. During the search, agents seized multiple documents labeled “classified,” “confidential” and “secret” from the office, according to previously unsealed court filings obtained by the Associated Press.
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Some of the documents appeared to concern weapons of mass destruction, national “strategic communication” and the U.S. mission to the United Nations, the filings stated.
When did John Bolton Serve as National Security Adviser?
Bolton was appointed to serve as Trump’s third national security adviser in 2018. Trump announced on social media in September 2019 that he had accepted Bolton’s resignation.
Bolton previously served in the Justice Department during President Ronald Reagan’s administration and was the State Department’s point man on arms control during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Bush nominated Bolton to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but he did not receive Senate confirmation. He resigned after serving 17 months as a recess appointment, which allowed him to hold the job temporarily without being confirmed.
What People Are Saying
**President Donald Trump, responding to a reporter's question about John Bolton's indictment: "**I didn't know that. You're telling me for the first time. But I think he's, you know, a bad person. I think he's a bad guy. Yeah, he's a bad guy. It's too bad, but that's the way it goes."
FBI Director Kash Patel, in a statement: "The FBI’s investigation revealed that John Bolton allegedly transmitted top secret information using personal online accounts and retained said documents in his house in direct violation of federal law. The case was based on meticulous work from dedicated career professionals at the FBI who followed the facts without fear or favor. Weaponization of justice will not be tolerated, and this FBI will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens our national security.”
What Happens Next
If convicted, Bolton faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of retention and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of transmission.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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