Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton pleads not guilty to sharing classified information

Former Trump Adviser Pleads Not Guilty to Sharing Classified Info

John Bolton, the former national security adviser who had a tumultuous relationship with Donald Trump, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to sharing classified information with his family members. The 18-count indictment alleges that Bolton mishandled sensitive documents and shared them through personal email accounts.

Bolton was spotted at a courthouse in Maryland on Friday, where he surrendered to authorities and appeared before US Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan. He did not comment during the brief appearance.

According to sources close to the case, Bolton's lawyer has framed this as an attempt by Trump to punish his client for taking notes that were later used in his memoir "The Room Where It Happened." The book was critical of Trump and sparked tensions with the administration.

However, career prosecutors at the US attorney's office in Maryland filed the indictment, citing evidence of Bolton's alleged mishandling of classified information. It is claimed that he sent personal emails containing notes about his day-to-day activities to family members who lacked security clearances.

The investigation suggests that an Iranian-backed hacking operation gained access to these notes after Bolton left government service, leading him to print and store them with classified documents in his home. The Espionage Act charges are based on alleged "aggregating factors" of willful mishandling of sensitive information, disloyalty to the US, and obstruction.

Bolton's book was initially delayed by the Trump administration due to a classification review. However, this delay eventually dropped, allowing Bolton to publish his memoir. The justice department reopened its investigation into whether he mishandled classified information through his book.

In recent months, renewed interest in investigating Bolton has been fueled by concerns raised about his emails and their potential connections to foreign intelligence services.

Bolton's case raises questions about the Trump administration's handling of national security issues and the extent to which it will go to target perceived enemies.

This whole thing reeks of politics as usual - one guy writes a book, another claims they were trying to punish him... meanwhile, who's really behind this?

Ugh I'm so over this court drama . It's just another example of how frustrating the justice system can be. I mean, come on, John Bolton is a former adviser to the President? You'd think he'd know better than to share classified info with his family . And now we've got this whole mess about the Espionage Act and "aggregating factors"... it's just like, can't we just have one standard for national security already?! Plus, isn't it weird that this all started because of a book he wrote? Like, doesn't he know you shouldn't share secrets with your relatives, even if they're your family members . And what's up with the alleged hacking operation? That sounds like something out of a spy novel . Anyway, just another day in the crazy world of politics and classified info... sigh

come on john bolton! why you gotta be so careless with classified info ? i mean, i get it, you're a patriot and all that, but sending sensitive notes to your family members via personal email is just basic security 101 . and what's up with the trump admin trying to use this as leverage against him? is it really worth going after someone for allegedly trying to take down his old boss? . anyway, hopefully he gets a fair shake in court and we can all learn from his mistakes

so this is crazy, i mean john bolton was always a thorn in trump's side and now he's gonna get punished for not being loyal enough? like, what's next? are we gonna start prosecuting people for having differing opinions about politics? seriously though, the whole thing with his book and the delay in publishing it is super sus...i mean, if trump was really that worried about classified info, maybe he should've been more careful about who he trusted to review his stuff

What's up with all these national security scandals? I mean, I get it, sharing classified info is a big no-no, but come on, 18 counts?! It sounds like they're just trying to squeeze him for his memoir book. Trump was already salty about that book, and now they're using this as an excuse to take him down? Not buying it. And what's with the Iranian hacking operation angle? Is that really a thing? Sounds like a whole lot of overreach to me...

I'm low-key concerned about this whole thing . I mean, sharing classified info is a big deal, and if you're not careful, it can put people in harm's way. It's like, I get that John Bolton had issues with Trump, but mishandling sensitive documents? That's just reckless .

I'm also wondering what kind of hacking operation got its hands on his emails . That's some serious national security stuff we're talking about here. And the fact that he allegedly printed and stored those notes at home with classified docs? That's just asking for trouble .

It raises so many questions, you know? Like, how did this happen? How did Trump's admin even let it slide initially? And what does this say about the way they handle national security issues now? It's all very complicated .

Wow Bolton really took things to a new level sharing classified info with his fam members . How did he not think that was gonna be a big no-no? His lawyer's trying to spin this as Trump wanting revenge, but it's more like Bolton just got caught slippin' . I'm curious about the Iranian hacking operation tho... how did that happen?

This whole thing just seems like a power play between Trump and Bolton... I mean, if Trump is really behind this indictment, that's pretty concerning for our national security . It looks like he's trying to silence someone who spoke out against him, which isn't exactly the kind of behavior we'd expect from someone in his position . And let's not forget, these aren't just any ordinary documents – we're talking about classified info here . This whole thing just smells fishy to me .

idk how much i trust this whole thing... like, Bolton's lawyer is clearly trying to spin it as some kind of trump revenge plot but at the same time, career prosecutors are bringing real charges about mishandling classified info .

im not buying that the trump admin delayed baltols book just because it was sensitive material... there's gotta be more to it than that. and this whole thing with iranian-backed hacking operation feels like a pretty big red flag .

i guess what im saying is, we dont know enough about whats going on here yet. cant just assume trump is behind baltols indictment without seeing more evidence .

omg can u believe this?? john bolton, the guy who wrote that book about trump, is now in trouble for sharing classified info with his fam lol like what was he even thinking? and now they're saying it's an attempt by trump to punish him? like, come on, don't try to spin this, guys! but seriously, it's scary how easily intel can fall into the wrong hands... i mean, we've all been taught in school about the importance of secrecy and security clearance anyway, it just goes to show that even former officials aren't above the law

idk why trump is being so vindictive now that john bolton was a thorn in his side he basically bullied him into doing what he wanted, but now Bolton gets hit with 18 counts? that's just not right it sounds like trump is trying to silence him and prevent him from speaking truth to power. newsflash: we need more voices like john bolton who aren't afraid to speak out against the powers that be