Trump's former National Security Advisor Bolton charged with mishandling classified material
John Bolton (Photo: Getty Images)
Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton has been charged with mishandling classified materials, according to Fox News.
Bolton faces 18 charges: 8 related to the transmission of national defense information and 10 for the retention of national defense information.
“From on or about April 9, 2018, through at least on or about August 22, 2025, BOLTON abused his position as National Security Advisor by sharing more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities as the National Security Advisor - including information relating to the national defense which was classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level - with two unauthorized individuals, namely Individuals 1 and 2,” the indictment states.
The documents reportedly revealed intelligence on upcoming enemy attacks in another country; secret operations in a foreign nation related to classified intergovernmental activities; and confidential sources and methods used to collect human intelligence, among other information.
It is reported that Bolton illegally stored written documents and notes related to national defense at his home in Montgomery County, Maryland.
In August, FBI agents searched Bolton’s residence, seizing phones, a laptop, computers, a hard drive, and USB drives.
Bolton’s stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine
Earlier reports indicated that Bolton criticized Trump over his statements about intending to end the war in Ukraine, warning that Trump’s possible closeness to the Kremlin could lead to concessions favoring Russia.
Bolton emphasized that such a stance would be a dark moment not only for Ukraine but also for the US. He explained that American national security interests are fundamentally based on protection against unprovoked aggression in Europe, which benefits the US.
Bolton served as Trump’s National Security Advisor in the White House during his first term, from 2018 to 2019.
In 2023, John Bolton stated that Donald Trump should not be the next U.S. president, arguing that he had become a laughingstock due to his remarks on Russia’s war against Ukraine and his loss in a sexual assault and defamation court case.
