John Bolton, former national security advisor to President Donald Trump, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Maryland on 18 counts of transmitting and retaining classified information, making him the third high-profile Trump critic to face criminal charges in recent weeks.
The 76-year-old diplomat is accused of emailing top-secret documents to two unnamed individuals, believed to be his wife and daughter. The Justice Department said the materials contained sensitive intelligence on foreign adversaries, upcoming threats, and diplomatic relations. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
When asked about the indictment, Trump dismissed Bolton as a “bad guy” and added, “That’s the way it goes.”
The 26-page indictment follows similar charges against two other prominent Trump critics: New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.
James, 66, who led the civil fraud case that resulted in a $464 million penalty against Trump (later stayed on appeal), was indicted on October 9 in Virginia for alleged bank fraud and making false statements about a 2020 property purchase. She has denounced the charges as “baseless” and “political retribution.”
Comey, 64, pleaded not guilty on October 8 to charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation. His legal team plans to challenge the indictment as a “vindictive and selective prosecution.”
All three cases were brought by Trump’s newly appointed US attorney, Lindsey Halligan, after her predecessor resigned, citing insufficient evidence.
Trump has intensified his public attacks on perceived enemies since returning to office in January, urging Attorney General Pam Bondi via social media to prosecute James, Comey, and others. Though Bolton wasn’t named in the post, Trump has previously revoked his security clearance and frequently criticized him—especially after Bolton published a scathing memoir, The Room Where It Happened, calling Trump “unfit to be president.”
Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk, has reportedly faced threats from Tehran. FBI agents raided his Maryland home and Washington office in August as part of the investigation.
Since reassuming the presidency in 2025, Trump has enacted sweeping retaliatory measures against opponents, including purging federal agencies, targeting law firms, and cutting funding to critical universities.
Previously, Trump faced investigations over classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Both cases were dropped by Special Counsel Jack Smith in accordance with the Justice Department’s policy against prosecuting a sitting president, following Trump’s 2024 election victory.
