Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted on 18 counts related to the alleged mishandling of classified information.
Federal prosecutors say Bolton transmitted more than a thousand pages of “diary-like” entries detailing his daily activities as national security adviser to two relatives who were not authorized to receive classified information. He is also accused of retaining top-secret documents, writings, and notes in his personal possession after leaving the White House in 2019.
Bolton faces eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of retaining it. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, though legal experts note that first-time offenders typically face reduced sentences.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee who has previously ruled on several high-profile challenges to the Trump administration.
The 26-page indictment states that Bolton “abused his position” by using personal email and commercial messaging apps to send sensitive information to individuals who lacked security clearance.
The FBI alleges Bolton stored the classified material on personal electronic devices and printed copies of some of the entries despite being instructed in 2019 that he was no longer authorized to keep such information at home.
Federal agents raided Bolton’s Washington, D.C. office and Maryland residence in August 2024. Documents marked “confidential” and “secret,” including some referencing weapons of mass destruction, were seized from the D.C. office. No classified materials were recovered from his Maryland home.
The investigation also revealed that a cyber actor “believed to be associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran” hacked into Bolton’s personal email account in July 2021. A representative notified authorities about the breach but failed to mention that the compromised account contained classified material.
“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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “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 said the case shows that “no one is above the law,” adding that “anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable.”
Bolton rejected the charges, calling himself the “latest target” of what he described as Donald Trump’s retribution campaign against his political opponents. His indictment comes weeks after federal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and Letitia James, New York’s attorney general.
“Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” Bolton said in a statement. “I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power.”
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the underlying facts of the case were investigated and resolved years ago. He argued that keeping diaries, as many public officials have done, “is not a crime.”
The indictment marks a dramatic turn for one of Trump’s most outspoken critics since leaving the administration. Bolton’s memoir, The Room Where It Happened, published in 2020, leveled sharp criticism at the former president and became a flashpoint in the administration’s legal battles with him.
Bolton is expected to make his first court appearance in Maryland in the coming days.