Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is now officially facing serious legal trouble. A federal grand jury in Maryland has indicted him on 18 counts, eight for transmitting national defense information and ten for retaining it.
Prosecutors say that while working under Donald Trump, Bolton shared “more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities” with two unauthorized individuals, both of whom were family members. Investigators also found printed “diary” entries in his home.
FBI Director Kash Patel said, “The FBI’s investigation revealed that John Bolton allegedly transmitted top secret information using personal online accounts and retained said documents in his house in direct violation of federal law.” Patel added that the investigation was handled by “dedicated career professionals” and warned that “weaponization of justice will not be tolerated.”
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, pushed back, calling the charges “unfounded.” He told CNN, “Like many public officials throughout history, Amb. Bolton kept diaries; that is not a crime.”
Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities in Greenbelt, Maryland, as early as Friday.
