WASHINGTON (AP) — John Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities Friday and make his first court appearance on charges accusing the former Trump administration national security adviser of storing top secret records at home and sharing with relatives diary-like notes that contained classified information. The 18-count federal indictment suggests classified information was exposed when operatives believed to be linked to the Iranian government hacked Bolton’s email account and gained access to sensitive materials he had shared. A Bolton representative told the FBI in 2021 that his emails had been hacked but did not reveal that Bolton had shared classified information through the account or that the hackers had possession of government secrets.
The closely watched case revolves around a longtime figure in Republican foreign policy circles known for his hawkish views who served more than a year in Trump's administration before being fired in 2019. He later published a book critically portraying Trump.
The case unfolds against concerns that the Justice Department may be targeting political adversaries of Trump while sparing his allies from scrutiny.
Bolton stated in a release that he has become a target of a Justice Department weaponization to charge enemies with previously declined charges. He criticized the indictment’s details that suggest he shared significant classified information with family members over years, raising questions about the governmental protocols he later criticized during his tenure. His attorney claims the charges stem from unclassified diaries shared within his immediate family, contending that the facts have been known to the FBI since 2021.
Bolton's indictment highlights how sharing information—especially concerning the government’s sources and intelligence collection methods—can lead to severe charges and legal consequences, emphasizing the critical boundaries concerning classified information.
The closely watched case revolves around a longtime figure in Republican foreign policy circles known for his hawkish views who served more than a year in Trump's administration before being fired in 2019. He later published a book critically portraying Trump.
The case unfolds against concerns that the Justice Department may be targeting political adversaries of Trump while sparing his allies from scrutiny.
Bolton stated in a release that he has become a target of a Justice Department weaponization to charge enemies with previously declined charges. He criticized the indictment’s details that suggest he shared significant classified information with family members over years, raising questions about the governmental protocols he later criticized during his tenure. His attorney claims the charges stem from unclassified diaries shared within his immediate family, contending that the facts have been known to the FBI since 2021.
Bolton's indictment highlights how sharing information—especially concerning the government’s sources and intelligence collection methods—can lead to severe charges and legal consequences, emphasizing the critical boundaries concerning classified information.
