Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted on 18 counts relating to a probe regarding the mishandling of classified information. It’s funny how this story died once the media found out they couldn’t weaponize it against President Trump. Bolton is a harsh Trump critic, and this legal fiasco led to the usual ‘the president is going after his enemies’ narrative, which imploded quickly. The ball got rolling on this under Joe Biden’s failed presidency (via DOJ):
A federal grand jury returned an indictment today [Oct. 16] charging former National Security Advisor John Bolton, 76, of Bethesda, Maryland, with serious crimes related to the mishandling of classified information. The indictment charges Bolton with eight counts of transmission of national defense information (NDI) and 10 counts of unlawful retention of NDI.
“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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “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.”
“Keeping Americans safe always has been, and always will be, the top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “If anyone endangers our national security, we’re committed to holding them accountable.”
“The FBI is committed to protecting classified information to keep Americans safe. Anyone entrusted with this knowledge takes an oath and has a duty to safeguard it. The charges alleged in this indictment demonstrate there will be consequences for those who violate this responsibility,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
The indictment alleges that Bolton illegally transmitted NDI by using personal email and messaging application accounts to send sensitive documents classified as high as Top Secret. These documents revealed intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign-policy relations.
And what an associate of Bolton said to RealClearInvestigations’ Paul Sperry is rather damning.
BREAKING: An associate of John Bolton told me "He knew what he was doing was wrong" b/c he used his wife + daughter instead of his longtime secretaries to organize/edit/print out his classified notes. His 2 WH secretaries had worked at State and were well-versed in security rules
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) October 29, 2025
“He knew what he was doing was wrong because he used his wife and daughter instead of his longtime secretaries to organize/edit/print out his classified notes. His two White House secretaries had worked at State and were well-versed in security rules,” this individual said to Sperry.
As the saying goes, no one is above the law.