WASHINGTON (AP) — John Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities Friday and make his first court appearance on several charges. The former Trump administration national security adviser faces accusations of storing top secret records at his home and inappropriately sharing diary-like notes that allegedly contained classified information with relatives.
The 18-count federal indictment, unveiled Thursday, indicates that Bolton's classified materials were compromised when his email was hacked, potentially by operatives linked to the Iranian government. Bolton's representative informed the FBI in 2021 that he had been hacked, but during the inquiry, failed to disclose that classified information had been shared through this account.
This high-profile case involves a prominent figure within Republican foreign policy circles known for his hawkish stance. Bolton's tenure lasted over a year before his dismissal in 2019, after which he authored a book sharply critical of Donald Trump.
As the indictment unfolds, concerns are mounting regarding perceived biases within the Justice Department, with critics arguing it appears to target Trump’s political adversaries while neglecting allies.
Bolton stated, “Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department,” defending his actions as factually misinterpreted.
The specifics of the indictment reveal that, between 2018 and August, Bolton distributed over 1,000 pages of sensitive information to two family members. This included entries from his diaries that were classified at the highest levels, reflecting details acquired from various government meetings and private discussions.
The indictment hints at Bolton’s awareness of the improper nature of sharing classified details, referencing his previous public criticism of government officials regarding secure messaging apps.
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, asserted that the facts in this case are not new and have been previously investigated. He highlighted that the shared information was not unlawfully disclosed and merely constituted personal diary entries.
The embroilment in this case reflects ongoing tensions and controversies surrounding Bolton's career, including disputes from his time as national security adviser and the fallout from his widely scrutinized 2020 publication, The Room Where It Happened, which described Trump's foreign policy decisions.
