John Bolton Indicted Over Classified Documents
John Bolton, former U.S. National Security Adviser under President Trump, has been indicted on 18 federal counts for allegedly mishandling classified national defense information. The charges include 8 counts of unlawful transmission and 10 counts of unlawful retention.
Alleged misconduct
Prosecutors say Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of sensitive diary-style notes—some marked top secret—with two unauthorized individuals, identified in court papers as his “editors,” during and after his tenure in office. They also allege he stored documents at his residence and used personal email accounts.
Cyber breach claim
The indictment states that after leaving office, Bolton’s personal email account was hacked by an actor linked to Iran, giving access to additional classified content. Officials contend Bolton did not report that the account had held classified material.
Defense response
Bolton denies wrongdoing, calling the charges political. His legal team says the records were personal diaries and were known to investigators. Bolton has pledged to fight the indictment.
