By Steve Neavling
Former national security adviser John R. Bolton was indicted Thursday on federal charges alleging he improperly shared classified information while serving in the Trump administration.
A grand jury in Maryland charged Bolton, 76, with 18 counts of mishandling national defense material, The New York Times reports. Prosecutors say he sent more than 1,000 pages of notes and diary entries, including some labeled top secret, to two relatives using personal email and messaging apps. The notes reportedly described intelligence briefings and meetings held inside the White House Situation Room.
Bolton, one of Trump’s fiercest critics after leaving the administration, said the case is a political reprisal.
“I look forward to defending my conduct and exposing his abuse of power,” he said in a statement.
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the prosecution, saying no one is above the law.
Bolton is expected to surrender Friday and appear in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison for each count.
Prosecutors said Bolton’s accounts were later hacked by someone linked to Iran, but he failed to alert officials that they contained classified material.
