John Bolton, Trump’s ex-national security adviser, indicted over hoarding secret defence documents

John Bolton, who served as national security adviser to former US President Donald Trump and later became a critic of him, was charged on Thursday with unlawfully storing top secret records at his home and sharing diary-like notes about his government service that contained classified material. The 18-count indictment also reveals that classified information may have been exposed when hackers believed to be linked to Iran accessed Bolton’s email account, gaining entry to sensitive files he had shared.

According to prosecutors, a Bolton representative informed the FBI in 2021 that the email account had been hacked but failed to disclose that classified information had been exchanged through it or that the hackers may now possess government secrets.

A politically charged case

The indictment sets the stage for a closely watched court case involving a veteran Republican foreign policy figure known for his hawkish stance on US power. Bolton served for more than a year in Trump’s first administration before being dismissed in 2019 and later publishing a sharply critical book about the president.

This case is the third in a month against a Trump critic and comes amid concerns that the Justice Department is targeting the president’s political opponents while avoiding action against his allies.

Bolton addressed those concerns directly in a defiant statement, rejecting the charges and accusing Trump of using the Justice Department as a political weapon. “Now, I have become the latest target in weaponising the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” Bolton said.

Unlike previous cases involving former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, the indictment against Bolton was filed by career national security prosecutors, not a newly appointed US attorney.

Although the FBI search of Bolton’s home in Maryland and his Washington office in August drew public attention, the investigation had already been underway before Trump began his second term in January.

Sharing of classified secrets with relatives

Filed in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, the indictment alleges that between 2018 and August this year, Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of classified material with two relatives.

The information included diary-like entries containing top secret details from intelligence briefings, meetings with US officials and foreign leaders, prosecutors said.

In one instance, after sending a document, Bolton wrote to his relatives, “None of which we talk about!!!” One relative responded, “Shhhhh,” according to the indictment.

The shared material allegedly contained intelligence on foreign adversaries, including sensitive details about US sources and collection methods. One document described a foreign adversary’s missile launch plans, while another outlined covert US government operations and intelligence assessments of an adversary’s attack.

The two relatives were not named in court documents, but a person familiar with the case identified them as Bolton’s wife and daughter.

Justice Department’s response

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement, “There is one tier of justice for all Americans. Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardises our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law.”

Prosecutors also cite an earlier interview in which Bolton criticised Trump administration officials for using the encrypted app Signal to discuss military matters. They argue this shows Bolton knew the correct handling of classified information. However, Bolton’s lawyers are expected to argue that this highlights a double standard, since the Justice Department never launched an investigation into that episode.

With inputs from AP

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