John Bolton Faces Indictment Over Classified Information Allegations

Fri Oct 17 2025 22:41:14 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities as he faces serious charges related to the mishandling of classified information.

John Bolton, who served as a national security adviser under Trump, is under indictment for allegedly storing top-secret documents at home and improperly sharing classified notes with family members. The charges stem from an FBI investigation that began in 2021, further complicating Bolton's contentious relationship with the former president and the Justice Department.

WASHINGTON (RTWNews) — John Bolton, the former national security adviser during the Trump administration, is slated to surrender to authorities on Friday to face an 18-count federal indictment. The charges allege that Bolton improperly stored top-secret records at his residence and shared diary-like notes containing classified information with family members.

The federal indictment, revealed Thursday, also raises concerns about security breaches, indicating that Bolton's email may have been hacked by individuals linked to the Iranian government. Prosecutors noted that while Bolton's representative alerted the FBI to the hacking in 2021, he did not disclose the sharing of classified documents via the account.

This case is particularly significant as it unfolds against the backdrop of criticisms regarding the Justice Department's treatment of Trump’s adversaries compared to his allies. Bolton has described the charges as a part of a politically motivated effort by the Justice Department to target his perceived enemies.

Bolton, a prominent figure in Republican foreign policy known for his hawkish stance, served in Trump's administration until his dismissal in 2019. Following his departure, he published a book that was critical of Trump and his policies.

According to the indictment, which details over 1,000 pages of shared information, Bolton provided sensitive entries from his personal diaries to his relatives, some of which included classified details concerning intelligence gathered on foreign adversaries. The indictment highlights his alleged awareness of the impropriety of sharing such information, citing past instances where he criticized Trump administration officials for unsecure communications.

Bolton's legal team argues that the information he shared was largely unclassified and that the cases investigated years ago had already been resolved. This claim suggests that the current indictment may reflect a shift in prosecutorial tactics within the Justice Department.

In the larger context, this indictment marks Bolton as yet another political figure ensnared in legal troubles, raising discussions about accountability and selective enforcement in the ongoing scrutiny of political figures associated with Trump.