John Bolton Indicted On 18 Counts Over Mishandling Classified Documents

Update (2020ET): CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reports that in the first reaction to his indictment, John Bolton conjures images of himself as true American hero and Trump as Stalin: (emphasis ours)

“For four decades, I have devoted my life to America’s foreign policy and national security. I would never compromise those goals. I tried to do that during my tenure in the first Trump Administration but resigned when it became impossible to do so.

Donald Trump’s retribution against me began then, continued when he tried unsuccessfully to block the publication of my book, The Room Where It Happened, before the 2020 election, and became one of his rallying cries in his re-election campaign. 

Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts.

My book was reviewed and approved by the appropriate, experienced career clearance officials. When my e-mail was hacked in 2021, the FBI was made fully aware. In four years of the prior administration, after these reviews, no charges were ever filed.

Then came Trump 2 who embodies what Joseph Stalin’s head of secret police once said, ‘You show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.’

These charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct. Dissent and disagreement are foundational to America’s constitutional system, and vitally important to our freedom.

I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power.”

Shame…

*  *  *

Update (1925ET): An 18-count indictment accused President Trump’s former national security adviser-turned-adversary, John Bolton, of mishandling classified national defense information (NDI), including eight counts of transmission and ten counts of unlawful retention.

According to the indictment, Bolton used personal email and messaging accounts to transmit Top Secret intelligence about foreign adversaries, future attacks, and U.S. foreign-policy relations. He also kept classified files at his home, including sensitive intelligence about foreign leaders and U.S. intelligence sources.

The FBI Baltimore Field Office led the investigation, with oversight from the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The indictment outlines two core allegations:

1. Eight counts of transmission of NDI under the Espionage Act (18 U.S.C. §793(d)),
2. and Ten counts of unlawful retention of NDI under §793(e).

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

Justice Department Statements Regarding Indictment of Former National Security Advisor John Bolton https://t.co/lrNzDZqzvi @FBIBaltimore pic.twitter.com/yLcEqSjkLF

— FBI (@FBI) October 16, 2025

Each count carries a maximum of 10 years in federal prison, meaning Bolton faces up to 180 years if convicted on all charges.

Here are some of the highlights of the indictment:

READ MORE HERE