Former U.S national security adviser John Bolton is being indicted for allegedly mishandling classified information by sharing it on a private email server.
A federal grand jury indicted Bolton two months after federal agents raided Bolton’s home and Washington, D.C., office to find evidence for the case.
Bolton worked for President Trump during his first term and subsequently became a frequent Trump critic. He is the third prominent opponent of Trump’s to be indicted in recent weeks, following former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).
Federal authorities are accusing Bolton of using his private email to remove classified information and to record detailed notes about his time in office.
In court papers last month, the FBI said its search of Bolton’s office led to the discovery of folders labeled “confidential” and “secret.” Federal agents found materials related to weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. mission to the United Nations, and the U.S. government’s strategic communications.
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe D. Lowell, told Politico that the records were cleared for use and many of them were decades old.
“These materials, many of which are documents that had been previously approved as part of a pre-publication review for Amb. Bolton's book, were reviewed and closed years ago,” Lowell said.
Lowell is best known for representing Hunter Biden and disgraced former Senator Bob Menendez (D., N.J.).
There was no indication that the search of Bolton’s Bethesda, Md., home yielded classified information.
An FBI affidavit for the search of Bolton’s home alleged his private email was hacked by a foreign entity and used to share classified information. The heavily redacted affidavit was released by a judge at the request of several media organizations.
The Biden administration’s Justice Department previously investigated Bolton for potentially mishandling classified information in connection with his tell-all book. The probe did not result in any charges.
Ellen Knight, a career national security council staffer and classification expert, cleared Bolton’s book ahead of publication after a lengthy review process. Knight previously alleged the first Trump administration attempted to pressure her into falsely claiming Bolton’s book, The Room Where it Happened, contained classified information. The Trump White House’s push to suppress Bolton’s book failed and it was published in June 2020.
B0lton’s book portrayed Trump as an incompetent, media-obsessed individual unfit to hold the presidency. On many occasions, Bolton has appeared on cable networks to make similar criticisms.
Bolton is a lifelong foreign policy hawk and proponent of regime change in various countries. He previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush.
His hardline stance on Iran, which proved influential in the first Trump administration, made Bolton the subject of an Iranian assassination plot in 2021. Bolton was one of several Trump officials targeted by Iranian operatives seeking retaliation for the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020. Nevertheless, Trump removed Bolton’s Secret Service detail upon returning to office.
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