Former national security advisor John Bolton turned himself in today to confront an 18-count federal indictment accusing him of improperly sharing and retaining sensitive national defense materials.
During his first court appearance in Greenbelt, Maryland, Bolton pled not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. Prosecutors argue that Bolton unlawfully transmitted top secret documents to family members and kept classified records at personal locations after leaving government service.
Bolton’s defense team insists his diary-style notes were unclassified, part of personal records, and that agents were aware of them as early as 2021. A hearing is scheduled for November 21.