Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton was indicted in Maryland on Thursday, October 16, 2025, for allegedly mishandling classified materials by sharing diary entries from his tenure in the White House with family members.
Bolton becomes the third prominent critic of President Donald Trump to face criminal charges in recent weeks, following indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. All three have denied any wrongdoing.
When asked about the case, Mr. Trump told reporters he was unaware of the indictment but added, “I think he’s a bad guy.”
In a defiant statement, Bolton said he had “become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department,” arguing that Mr. Trump “embodies what Joseph Stalin’s head of secret police once said, ‘You show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.’”
“I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power,” he added.
According to the 26-page indictment, Bolton faces 18 counts, including eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of retaining it. Prosecutors allege that Bolton “abused his position as National Security Advisor by sharing more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities” with two unnamed relatives, using non-governmental email accounts such as AOL and Google. Some of these materials allegedly contained top secret and sensitive compartmented information, derived from intelligence sources.
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, rejected the charges, saying they were based on “portions of Amb. Bolton’s personal diaries over his 45-year career, records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021.”
“Like many public officials throughout history, Amb. Bolton kept diaries, which is not a crime,” he added.
Prosecutors claim Bolton’s email was hacked between 2019 and 2021 by a cyber actor linked to Iran. Although Bolton notified authorities of the breach, the indictment alleges he failed to disclose that classified material had been transmitted to relatives. An email later warned him: “I do not think you would be interested in the FBI being aware of the leaked content of John’s email.”
Investigators say they found printed copies of classified materials and electronic evidence of transmission during an FBI search of Bolton’s home and office in Montgomery County, Maryland, last August.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said after the indictment: “Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law.”
The indictment lists several types of sensitive data Bolton allegedly shared, including intelligence on foreign missile activity, U.S. covert operations, and planned attacks. In one message to a relative, Bolton allegedly wrote: “Stuff coming to cheer you… up!!!”
Bolton has faced years of scrutiny over classified information since leaving the Trump administration in 2019. His memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” portrayed Mr. Trump unfavorably. The Justice Department previously sued to block the book’s publication, alleging it contained classified material, though a federal judge allowed its release.
Judge Royce Lamberth later wrote that Bolton “likely jeopardized national security by disclosing classified information in violation of his nondisclosure agreement obligations.”
The indictment comes amid renewed scrutiny of how top officials handle classified materials, following investigations into both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
While Trump was charged in 2023 for allegedly hoarding sensitive files, charges later dismissed on procedural grounds, Biden was found to have “willfully retained classified documents,” though no prosecution followed.
Bolton’s indictment marks another high-profile case in the widening legal battles surrounding former Trump officials and critics, raising fresh questions about the politicization of justice and the handling of national security secrets.
