John Bolton indicted – faces long prison term after sharing ‘secret files’ that mention Trump

Washington, D.C. – Former National Security Adviser John Bolton was indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland on Thursday, on 18 counts of mishandling classified information, including unauthorized retention and transmission of top-secret documents, a case that could land the 76-year-old Trump critic in prison for up to 10 years.

The charges, unsealed in Greenbelt federal court, stem from FBI raids on Bolton’s Washington, D.C., office and Bethesda, Maryland, home on August 22, where agents seized two cell phones, a laptop, digital drives, and folders labeled “Trump I-IV,” containing notes on national defense matters like weapons of mass destruction.

Bolton, fired by Trump in September 2019 after policy clashes, called the indictment “retribution” in a statement, likening it to Stalin’s secret police, as President Donald Trump, reacting in the Oval Office, dismissed him as a “bad guy” and “low-life.” The case, accelerated under Trump’s second term but originating in the Biden administration, is the third indictment of a Trump foe in a month, following James Comey and Letitia James.

How It Went Down

The 26-page indictment, handed up by a grand jury after a three-hour session, accuses Bolton of sharing over 1,000 pages of “diary-like entries” from his 2018-2019 NSA tenure via personal AOL email and a group chat with two unauthorized relatives (his wife and daughter), including top-secret information on military briefings and intelligence, per the filing.

Bolton allegedly retained classified notes in his home, knowing their sensitivity, and omitted details when his email was hacked by an Iranian-linked entity in 2020, per court documents. The Espionage Act charges (18 U.S.C. § 793) prohibit willful retention or transmission of national defense information, with penalties up to 10 years per count.

The FBI raids recovered “confidential” documents referencing WMDs from Bolton’s D.C. office, and from his Maryland home: two iPhones, a Dell Precision Tower, Dell XPS laptop, Dell Inspiron, a hard drive, two USB drives, four boxes of daily activities, and the “Trump I-IV” folders and “Statements and Reflections to Allied Strikes” binder, per unsealed warrants.

A foreign hack of Bolton’s email was noted, but details redacted, per The New York Times. Bolton’s 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which Trump tried to block for classified info, was investigated but closed in 2021 under Biden.

Bolton, in a September 16, 2025, statement, said, “These charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents… Dissent and disagreement are foundational to America’s constitutional system.” He added, “You show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime,” quoting Stalin’s secret police chief.

Bolton, a 40-year foreign policy veteran, said he’d “never compromise” national security, fired by Trump for opposing Iran and Afghanistan policies.

Trump’s Reaction and Retribution Context

Trump, in the Oval Office around 4:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, reacted to the indictment news, saying, “I didn’t know that, you’re telling me for the first time, but I think he’s a bad person… He’s a bad guy. Too bad, but that’s the way it goes.” He claimed no prior review, per CNN.

A month earlier, on September 20, Trump accidentally posted on Truth Social a private message to AG Pam Bondi, saying, “We can’t delay any longer… JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” naming Bolton’s foes Comey, James, and Schiff. The post, intended as a DM, was deleted, but Trump later said, “Pam Bondi is doing a GREAT job,” nominating Lindsey Halligan for U.S. Attorney.

Bolton’s indictment is the third Trump foe in a month: Comey on September 25, for false statements and obstruction from 2020 testimony; James on October 9 for bank fraud and false statements on a 2020 Norfolk mortgage.

Comey pleaded not guilty on September 26; James denied the charges as “politically motivated.” Trump called Comey a “dirty cop” and James a “racist” in 2024, per Politico. Legal experts note the cases risk “vindictive prosecution” dismissals.

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Bolton’s Background and Trump Feud

Bolton, U.N. Ambassador under Bush, served as Trump’s third NSA from April 2018 to September 2019, fired after clashes over Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea. His memoir portrayed Trump as “stunningly uninformed,” triggering a failed lawsuit.

Trump revoked Bolton’s clearance January 20, 2025, and pulled his Secret Service detail a day later, amid Iran threats from the 2020 Soleimani strike. Bolton criticized Trump’s Ukraine policy as “incoherent” in an August 25, 2025, Washington Examiner op-ed.

The probe began under Biden in 2024, but accelerated under Trump, with FBI Director Kash Patel testifying on September 9 before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Bolton’s notes “put national security at risk.”

Democrats like Rep. Jamie Raskin accused Trump of “Stalinist tactics.” Bolton’s lawyer plans a motion to dismiss, citing vindictiveness.