John Bolton Indicted on 18 Counts for Mishandling Classified Information

John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to Donald Trump, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland on 18 felony counts for alleged mishandling of classified national defense information. The Justice Department accuses John Bolton of keeping and transmitting sensitive materials — including top-secret intelligence and notes about U.S. military operations — through his personal AOL email account and even sharing them with family members who lacked clearance.

John Bolton, a longtime foreign policy hawk and U.N. ambassador, faces eight counts of unauthorized transmission and ten counts of unlawful retention of national defense information. CNN reports that prosecutors discovered over a thousand pages of diary-like entries containing classified data, some marked “Top Secret.”

A Hacking Scandal Turned Criminal Case

The indictment follows a multi-year FBI probe that began after an Iranian hacking campaign targeted Bolton in 2021. Hackers threatened to expose his emails — even taunting him in messages referencing Hillary Clinton’s 2016 email scandal: “The biggest scandal since Hillary’s emails, but this time on the GOP side! Good luck, Mr. Mustache!”

Investigators say that while John Bolton reported the hack, he failed to disclose that he was using the compromised AOL account to send classified information to his wife and daughter. FBI agents later searched his Bethesda home and Washington, D.C. office, seizing computers, hard drives, and binders marked “Weapons of Mass Destruction Classified Documents.”

John Bolton’s Memoir ‘The Room Where It Happened’

Bolton Calls Charges “Political Retribution”

John Bolton released a fiery statement condemning what he calls “Trump’s weaponization of the Justice Department.” “For four decades, I have devoted my life to America’s foreign policy and national security,” John Bolton said. “Now I’ve become the latest target in Trump’s retribution campaign. This is what Stalin’s secret police meant: ‘You show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.’”

He insists the documents were reviewed and cleared by officials before publication of his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened — a book that famously angered Trump for its unflattering portrayal of his presidency.

Trump Unveils Plans for ‘Arc de Trump’ as Part of Massive Washington Overhaul

Legal Experts Say the Case Is “More Serious Than Trump’s”

CNN legal analyst Elie Honig described Bolton’s conduct as “far graver” than previous classified document cases involving Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, or even Donald Trump himself. Honig noted that Bolton allegedly “actively disseminated” information of the “highest level” to unauthorized individuals — an action that could carry decades in prison if proven.

The case will be overseen by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee who previously ruled against Trump-era policies. Bolton is expected to self-surrender and appear in court later this week.

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

A Fallout That Reaches Far Beyond Bolton

John Bolton’s indictment marks the third high-profile prosecution of a Donald Trump political adversary in recent weeks, fueling ongoing debate over whether the Justice Department is being used as a political weapon. Yet the DOJ maintains the case predates Trump’s return to power, originating during the Biden administration’s review of the Iranian hack.

As John Bolton prepares his defense, Washington braces for another political and legal firestorm — one that blurs the lines between national security, personal revenge, and political power.