John Bolton Indicted by Federal Grand Jury
This week, a federal grand jury met to discuss charges against John Bolton, who previously served as President Trump’s national security adviser. Following an indictment issued on Thursday, Bolton turned himself in and entered a plea in court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the 76-year-old Bolton pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance after giving himself up on Friday morning.
“The misuse of justice will not be accepted, and the FBI is committed to holding accountable those who jeopardize national security,” stated an FBI official.
The Justice Department has charged Bolton with eight counts related to the transmission of national defense information, along with ten counts of unlawful possession of such information.
Details of Charges
Each charge carries a potential 10-year prison sentence. Bolton, who was in his role from April 2018 to September 2019, is accused of having unauthorized access to sensitive details regarding “future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign policy matters.”
The indictment claims that between September 2019 and July 2021, a cyber attacker, thought to be linked to Iran, hacked into Bolton’s personal email and gained access to confidential information.
Furthermore, it alleges that while serving as national security adviser, Bolton sent classified information—described as having a “diary-like” format—to two relatives. Some of these interactions are highlighted in the indictment, such as a message he sent indicating, “More is coming!!!” followed by a 24-page document with information he acquired during his tenure.
In continued exchanges, Bolton supposedly reassured his relatives, stating, “There is nothing we are talking about!!!” which prompted one relative to respond with a “shhh.” Another relative remarked about a senior U.S. official, suggesting they might have shared sensitive information, pointing to the informal and somewhat casual tone of Bolton’s communications.
Details within the indictment classify all shared documents as either “secret” or “top secret,” among other classifications, implying a serious breach of protocol.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the dedication of FBI professionals in the pursuit of justice, asserting that there would be no tolerance for the misuse of justice.
According to further reports, Judge Thomas Sullivan has set a deadline for pretrial motions for November 14, with a conference scheduled for November 21.
