Former national security adviser faces 18 felony counts under Espionage Act; indictment comes amid wider crackdown on Trump critics
Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted on federal charges of mishandling classified information, accused of transmitting and storing national defense materials on private email accounts, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.
A federal grand jury in Maryland returned an 18-count indictment against Bolton, alleging violations of the Espionage Act and federal records laws. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, exposing Bolton to a potential 180-year sentence if convicted on all charges.
The indictment follows a two-month investigation that included FBI raids on Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C. office. Agents reportedly seized boxes of government records, electronic devices, and folders labeled “secret” and “confidential.”
Allegations of Mishandling Classified Material
Federal prosecutors say Bolton used private email accounts—including AOL and Google—to send what the indictment describes as “diary-like entries” containing classified national security information to unauthorized individuals.
The materials allegedly included details about U.S. defense strategies, foreign intelligence assessments, and internal National Security Council communications. Prosecutors claim Bolton also retained handwritten notes and sensitive files in his home and office long after leaving public service.
According to the indictment, a foreign hacker believed to be connected to Iran later gained access to one of Bolton’s private email accounts. Investigators say Bolton reported the breach to authorities but failed to disclose that classified documents were stored there.
Defense and Response
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe D. Lowell, dismissed the charges as “a gross overreach.” In a statement to Politico, Lowell said many of the records were decades old and had been reviewed and cleared for public use during prepublication checks for Bolton’s 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened.
“These materials were reviewed and closed years ago,” Lowell said. “Ambassador Bolton has always cooperated with authorities and followed the law.”
Lowell, who has represented clients including Hunter Biden and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), is expected to mount an aggressive defense focused on classification procedures and First Amendment protections.
Political and Legal Context
The indictment marks a dramatic turn for Bolton, a lifelong foreign policy hawk who served in multiple Republican administrations. He became one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics after leaving the White House in 2019, accusing the president of being “unfit for office” and driven by “personal and political self-interest.”
Bolton is now the third prominent Trump critic to face criminal charges in recent weeks, following former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. All three had previously clashed with Trump over investigations and public disputes.
The indictments have raised questions among legal observers about whether the Trump administration’s Justice Department is being used to pursue political opponents. Administration officials deny that accusation, saying the charges stem from “career prosecutors following the evidence.”
When asked about the case Thursday, President Trump told reporters that he believed Bolton had been “a very bad person for a very long time” and that “justice is finally being done.”
Background on Bolton and Prior Investigations
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019, resigning after clashing with the president over negotiations with North Korea and Iran.
His memoir, The Room Where It Happened, published in June 2020, depicted Trump as impulsive and uninformed on key foreign policy matters. The book sparked a high-profile dispute with the White House over alleged disclosure of classified information, though no charges were filed at the time.
Federal prosecutors previously investigated whether Bolton failed to complete prepublication review procedures before releasing the book. That probe was dropped during the Biden administration, but revived after Trump returned to office in January 2025.
What’s Next
Bolton is expected to make his initial court appearance Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
Legal analysts say the case could hinge on several factors:
Whether the information at issue was properly classified.
Whether Bolton acted “willfully” in transmitting or retaining it.
Whether prepublication clearance for his book applies to the same materials.
Whether investigators can prove intent or gross negligence.
If the case proceeds to trial, it could take months and reignite fierce debate about how the government handles classified information — and whether criminal investigations have become entangled with political payback.
Bolton served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush and has been a key figure in conservative foreign policy circles for decades. A staunch advocate of American interventionism, Bolton has pushed for regime change in Iran and North Korea and was a vocal defender of the 2003 Iraq invasion.
In 2021, U.S. authorities confirmed that Bolton was targeted in an Iranian assassination plot in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
Bolton has not yet entered a plea, but his attorneys said he plans to “vigorously contest every charge.”
