john Bolton Indicted on Charges of Mishandling Classified Data
WASHINGTON D.C. – Former National Security Advisor John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of sharing sensitive government information, U.S. media reported today. The indictment alleges Bolton disclosed classified details to two relatives, potentially for inclusion in a book he was writng.
According to the indictment, the information shared via electronic messages included details from meetings with senior government officials, discussions with foreign leaders, and intelligence briefings.
Bolton responded to the charges, calling the indictment “revenge” and accusing former President Donald trump of weaponizing the Department of justice. “I have become the latest target of those who use the Department of Justice as a weapon to accuse those he deems his enemies with previously rejected accusations or to distort the facts,” Bolton stated in a released note.
He further detailed a history of conflict with trump, beginning with his resignation from the management when he felt he could no longer support the President’s policies. “The Donald Trump’s revenge against me it started then, it continued when he tried unsuccessfully to block the publication of mine book ‘The Room Where It Happened,’ before the 2020 election, and became one of his slogans during his re-election campaign.” He emphasized that his book had been reviewed and approved by career qualification officials.
Bolton also referenced a 2021 hacking of his email, stating the FBI was informed at the time but no charges where filed until now. He drew a comparison to Soviet-era tactics, quoting Joseph Stalin‘s secret police chief: “Show me the man and I will show you the crime.”
“Dissent and disagreement are essential to the American constitutional system and of vital importance to our freedom,” Bolton asserted. “I can’t wait to fight to defend mine legitimate conduct and report his abuse of power.”
Former President Trump, responding to CNN on the news of Bolton’s indictment, stated, “I didn’t [review the case], but I just think he’s a bad person.”
Bolton served as National Security Advisor to President Trump from April 2018 to September 2019.
