CaliToday (17/10/2025): Washington D.C. - John Bolton, who served as National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, was indicted on Thursday, October 16, 2025, on federal charges related to the mishandling of classified information. The 18-count indictment, filed in Greenbelt, Maryland, accuses the veteran diplomat and noted foreign policy hawk of unlawfully retaining and transmitting national defense information, charges that fall under the Espionage Act.
The indictment alleges that between 2018 and 2019, while serving as National Security Advisor, Mr. Bolton shared detailed, diary-like notes containing classified information with two relatives who were assisting him in the preparation of his 2020 memoir, "The Room Where It Happened." The information was allegedly transmitted through a personal email account.
According to the indictment, the shared documents contained sensitive information on a range of national security issues. Prosecutors contend that this information was classified at various levels, including "Secret" and "Top Secret." The indictment specifies that the material included details of his day-to-day activities and high-level meetings.
In a statement, Mr. Bolton vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing the indictment as a politically motivated attack. "These charges are not just about [Trump's] focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents," Mr. Bolton stated. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, echoed these sentiments, asserting that the allegations "were investigated and resolved years ago." Lowell maintained that the shared diaries contained unclassified information and were only shared with immediate family.
The legal action represents a significant escalation of a long-simmering dispute over Mr. Bolton's book. Even before its publication, the Trump administration sought to block its release, claiming it contained classified material that could endanger national security. A civil lawsuit was filed at the time, but the book was ultimately published.
This indictment reopens the legal battle, with federal prosecutors now pursuing criminal charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, "There is one tier of justice for all Americans," emphasizing that the Justice Department will hold accountable any individual who compromises national security. Similarly, FBI Director Kash Patel affirmed the Bureau's commitment to protecting classified information, stating, "Weaponization of justice will not be tolerated, and this FBI will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens our national security.”
The case against Mr. Bolton follows a search of his Maryland home and Washington D.C. office by the FBI in August 2025, during which computers, phones, and documents were seized.
Mr. Bolton's tenure as National Security Advisor was marked by a hawkish foreign policy stance, and his subsequent book offered a critical inside account of the Trump administration's foreign policy dealings. The indictment now places him in a legal predicament with potentially severe consequences, as each of the 18 counts carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The case is expected to be a high-profile legal battle, raising complex questions about the handling of classified information by senior government officials and the line between public service and personal record-keeping.
CaliToday.Net
