Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton was indicted Thursday on 18 federal counts tied to the improper handling of classified materials, including top secret intelligence.
The indictment charges Bolton with eight counts of transmission of National Defense Information and ten counts of unlawful retention of classified intelligence.
According to prosecutors, Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor from 2018 to 2019, “abused his position” by sharing more than a thousand pages of top secret material with unauthorized individuals and storing other highly sensitive documents in his Maryland home.
The materials allegedly included intelligence on adversarial attack plans against U.S. forces, covert operations, sources and methods of human intelligence, missile launch warnings, and foreign government interactions with U.S. adversaries.
Many of the documents were classified TOP SECRET/SCI — the highest level of government secrecy.
FBI, DOJ Say Bolton Jeopardized National Security
“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.
“Weaponization of justice will not be tolerated, and this FBI will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens our national security.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi added:
“There is one tier of justice for all Americans.
“Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable.
“No one is above the law.”
The FBI raid on Bolton’s Bethesda home in August turned up classified binders, multiple computers, USB drives, and files labeled “Trump I–IV.”
Four boxes of Bolton’s “printed daily activities” were also seized.
Bolton’s Past Clashes with Trump
The indictment comes after years of tensions between Bolton and Trump.
The Justice Department previously moved to block publication of Bolton’s 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” arguing it contained classified information.
The Biden DOJ later dropped the case in 2021.
Bolton has long criticized Trump, including over classified document handling, but the indictment now puts him in the very position he once attacked.
“John Bolton really had some nerve to attack Trump over his handling of classified information,” a source familiar with the case reportedly told Fox News.
Bolton has both backed and criticized Trump since leaving the White House.
He opposed Trump’s leadership style but praised his 2025 military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling it “decisive” and “the right thing to do.”
Trump, for his part, has frequently blasted Bolton as a “warmonger” for pushing endless wars in the Middle East.
Bolton’s indictment revives long-standing questions over how high-ranking officials handle sensitive intelligence and whether accountability is applied evenly.
Critics have noted that while Trump’s classified documents case was dismissed in 2024, Bolton now faces the full weight of federal charges.
Bolton, who once enjoyed a Secret Service detail, had his protection revoked the day after Trump’s second inauguration.
He has since accused Trump of “retribution politics.”
Meanwhile, Bolton remains under threat from Iran, where leaders have openly targeted him since the U.S. strike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.
The case against Bolton now ensures that the former national security advisor, who was once central to U.S. foreign policy decisions, could spend years battling in court over alleged breaches of the very security protocols he demanded of others.
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.