A federal grand jury in Maryland has handed down an 18-count indictment against former national security adviser John Bolton, accusing him of improperly handling classified information.
Prosecutors allege Bolton used a personal email account and messaging platform to transmit over 1,000 pages of “diary-style” documents containing national defense material to unauthorized family members. They also claim he retained top-secret papers at his private residence and office after leaving government service.
Bolton’s legal team rejects the charges, maintaining the documents were unclassified or cleared through a prepublication review. Bolton himself called the indictment politically motivated and said he will vigorously defend his actions.
The case marks one of the more prominent prosecutions involving a former senior national security official, highlighting the tension between oversight, national security, and political dynamics.