John Bolton Indicted: Former Trump Advisor Faces Espionage Charges Over Classified Information
John Bolton, the former U.S. National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump and a veteran Republican diplomat, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland on charges of mishandling classified national defense information.
The 26-page indictment accuses Bolton, 76, of unlawfully transmitting and retaining highly sensitive materials relating to national security. He becomes the third prominent Trump critic in recent weeks to face criminal prosecution, following the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
According to prosecutors, Bolton allegedly shared top-secret documents with two family members while serving as National Security Advisor from April 2018 to September 2019, and later kept those classified materials at his home in Bethesda, Maryland.
The indictment details that he transmitted “more than a thousand pages” of daily logs and defense-related notes, classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level. Federal agents also allege that Bolton’s personal email was later hacked by a cyber actor linked to Iran, who accessed these sensitive files.
Bolton’s residence and Washington office were raided by the FBI in August 2025 as part of an ongoing counterintelligence investigation. He now faces 18 felony counts, each carrying a potential prison sentence of up to ten years if convicted.
Bolton Denies Charges, Calls Case ‘Political Retaliation’
In a statement, Bolton declared his innocence and described the charges as a politically driven campaign of revenge orchestrated by Donald Trump.
“This is not about my diaries or notes,” Bolton said. “It’s about Trump’s obsession with punishing those who oppose him. This is something out of Stalin’s secret police playbook.”
Trump, when asked about the indictment by reporters, responded:
I didn’t know that. He’s a bad guy. It’s too bad—but that’s the way it goes.
Justice Department Responds
Attorney General Pamela Bondi dismissed accusations of selective justice, stating, “There is one tier of justice for all Americans. Anyone who endangers national security—no matter how powerful—will be held accountable.”
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, argued that the alleged materials were personal diaries spanning his 45-year career and had been reviewed by federal investigators years ago.
“Ambassador Bolton’s notes were private reflections, not national secrets,” Lowell said. “We will prove that he did not unlawfully share or store classified information.”
Cyber Hack and Legal Implications
The indictment describes a July 2021 cyberattack targeting Bolton’s email, allegedly carried out by a hacker associated with the Iranian regime. The hacker obtained classified data and sent Bolton an email warning: “This could be the biggest scandal since Hillary’s emails—but this time, on the GOP side!”
Prosecutors say Bolton never reported the incident to the FBI, though Bolton maintains the agency was “fully informed.”
Political Fallout and What’s Next
Bolton’s indictment reignites debate over the alleged politicization of the Justice Department, particularly given Trump’s own ongoing legal troubles over classified documents. Bolton suggested that his prosecution reflects Trump’s continuing vendetta that began when he tried to block the release of Bolton’s 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened.
“Dissent and disagreement are the foundations of our democracy,” Bolton said. “I look forward to defending my conduct and exposing this abuse of power.”
Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities in Maryland and appear in court later today. While the charges carry potentially decades-long sentences, experts note that federal sentencing guidelines could result in a much shorter term if convicted.