Indictment of Former National Security Adviser John Bolton

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton faced indictment on Thursday due to allegations surrounding the mishandling of classified documents.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the indictment arises from a federal investigation into Bolton’s actions regarding classified information. Bolton, who was part of President Donald Trump’s administration for over a year before being dismissed in 2019, attracted attention when the FBI conducted searches at his Maryland residence and Washington office in August, looking for classified materials he might have retained from his time in government.

Reports from Breitbart News in August confirmed the FBI raids on both his home and office.

Concerns about Bolton’s handling of classified materials initially surfaced in 2020, following the publication of his memoir after his fallout with Trump. There were indications that the White House had requested Bolton to refrain from releasing the book until certain classified information was redacted. Nevertheless, he proceeded to publish it.

A federal judge had ruled against ordering the destruction of Bolton’s book—thousands of copies were already printed and distributed before its release—but also suggested that Bolton likely breached national security regulations.

While the Biden administration had decided to drop the matter, it was reignited earlier this year when President Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance.

Initially, Trump had brought Bolton into his administration, seemingly aiming to exert pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to achieve a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis. However, Bolton later became a vocal critic of Trump, leading to his eventual dismissal.