Criminal Charges Filed Against Trump’s Former Advisor John Bolton

Criminal charges have been filed against John Bolton, former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump. The FBI had previously raided Bolton’s home and office in connection with the alleged misuse of classified documents. He is the third political opponent of Trump to face court proceedings within the past three weeks.

On Thursday (October 16), the U.S. Department of Justice presented the case against John Bolton to a grand jury in Maryland.

The jury concluded that there was sufficient evidence to bring charges. As part of the investigation, the FBI conducted searches of Bolton’s residence and office back in August, reportedly linked to allegations of leaking classified information.

At 76 years old, Bolton becomes the third major political figure opposing Trump to face charges in recent weeks. Previously, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James were also indicted.

Bolton has not yet made any public statement regarding the charges. However, his attorney has said that Bolton handled all documents appropriately.

Bolton was dismissed from the Trump administration in 2019. The following year, in his memoir The Room Where It Happened, he portrayed Trump as ignorant and driven by electoral interests. The White House attempted to block the book’s release through legal action, but the court rejected the motion, and the book was published shortly thereafter.

Following the book's release, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into Bolton for allegedly disclosing classified information. When asked about the latest charges, Trump told reporters he wasn’t aware of them but called Bolton a “bad person.” He has previously labeled Bolton a “liar” and demanded he be prosecuted.