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

Former Trump Adviser Pleads Not Guilty on Charges of Sharing Classified Information

A dramatic turn of events unfolded Friday when John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of sharing classified information. The charges stem from diary-like notes Bolton shared with family members and stored classified documents at his home.

Bolton appeared in court in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he surrendered to authorities and made an initial appearance before US magistrate judge Timothy Sullivan. He did not comment to reporters upon arrival.

In a statement, Bolton described the case as part of what he called "the latest effort by the president to target his political enemies." His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, portrayed the matter as an attempt to punish Bolton for taking notes for a 2020 memoir, which was critical of Trump and reportedly angered the administration.

The indictment alleges that Bolton shared sensitive information with relatives who did not have security clearances. It claims that email accounts belonging to Bolton were hacked by a foreign state actor believed to be Iran, which gained access to his notes after he left government service. The investigation also reveals that Bolton printed the notes and kept them in classified documents at home.

In essence, Bolton is accused of mishandling classified information through careless sharing with family members and unsecured storage at home. The US justice department pursues espionage charges under the Espionage Act for such behavior.

The case marks a continuation of Trump's targeting of his perceived enemies through various means, including the use of law enforcement agencies. It highlights the complex web of issues surrounding national security information and the repercussions for those who mishandle it.

It remains to be seen how Bolton's case will unfold in light of this indictment.

The whole thing just seems so... complicated . I mean, on one hand, you've got this guy John Bolton, a former national security adviser, accused of sharing classified information with his family members and storing it at home without proper clearance . That's definitely not something you want to be doing, especially when you're working with sensitive info .

On the other hand, we have to consider why Bolton wrote those diary-like notes in the first place . Was he really trying to share sensitive information with his family or was it just a way for him to document his experiences and maybe even write that memoir he mentioned?

And then there's this part about his email accounts getting hacked by a foreign state actor... I don't know, man, it just seems like a lot of balls being dropped in quick succession . Maybe they should be focusing on the actual intent behind Bolton's actions rather than just his methods?

It feels like we're missing some context here and I'd love to see more about what really went down . How many people were involved, who was behind the hacking attempt... all these questions are still unanswered .

omg can't believe john bolton is doing this he shoulda kept his notes private, now he's got 18 counts against him i feel bad for the guy, but at the same time, sharing classified info with fam members without clearance is just common sense, you know? shouldn't be that hard to keep secrets safe

so like Bolton is saying that Trump is just trying to get him and now he's all "not guilty" but at the same time, if you share classified info with family members or store it at home without proper security then that's not cool either

I made a little diagram to illustrate the situation:
```
+---------------+
| Trump vs |
| Bolton |
+---------------+
|
| (sharing classified info)
v
+---------------+ +---------------+
| Bolton shares | | Family members |
| with family | | get access to |
| | | classified info|
+---------------+ +---------------+

|
| (email accounts hacked)
v
+---------------+
| Foreign state |
| actor gains |
| access to notes|
+---------------+
```
It's a bit of a mess, but basically it's like Bolton is caught in the middle and Trump is trying to make an example out of him

I mean, can you believe this? Another example of "leaked" info being used as a weapon against someone. I'm not buying it, though . It sounds like just another move to discredit Trump's enemies. What really gets me is that Bolton shared notes with family members without proper clearance and then printed them out at home and kept them in classified documents. That's just careless, right? And now he's playing the victim saying it's all about targeting his political enemies... yeah, sure .

I'm surprised he didn't deny it all together, like some people would say "it was a joke" or "I just wanted to get back at my ex". I mean, come on, you share classified info with your family members? That's not just careless, that's asking for trouble! And now the whole US justice department is breathing down his neck? This guy needs to get his act together and take responsibility for his actions. The 2020 memoir thing is just a smokescreen, imo. What's really going on here is a classic case of Trump trying to silence an enemy by pinning them with a crime they didn't commit. And the hacking angle? Come on, that's just wild. Next thing you know, he'll be saying it was Iran who hacked his accounts...

I'm surprised by how many people I know think sharing classified info with family is a big deal... like, I get it, it's sensitive stuff . But isn't the real question here why did he store those documents at home in the first place? Shouldn't that be the bigger issue?

And what's up with Trump's obsession with going after his enemies? Is it just about maintaining power or something deeper? I'm curious to see how this case plays out and if we'll get any answers.

I'm literally shook , how can someone just share classified info with their family members? Like, what kind of thought process goes into that? I get it, he was writing a memoir and wanted to note down some stuff, but come on! That's not how you handle sensitive information. And the hacking thing, wow... if that's true, it's like, major breach .

And can we talk about Trump for a sec? He's always going on about 'targeting his enemies', but this is just another example of him being all reckless and impulsive. Like, doesn't he understand the gravity of the situation? The Espionage Act is not something to be taken lightly .

I'm curious to see how this whole thing plays out, though. Will Bolton get away with it or will justice catch up with him? Only time will tell

Lol what a total farce This is just another example of Trump's ego getting out of control, using the justice system as his personal vendetta machine Like, who shares classified info with family members? That's not a mistake, that's just careless And now he's acting like it's some kind of conspiracy? Give me a break Bolton is just trying to protect himself from Trump's wrath, and rightfully so I mean, the guy has been critical of Trump in his book, what did he expect?

I think this whole thing is a bit fishy , don't you? I mean, if Bolton was genuinely trying to protect national security, why did he share classified info with his family members who didn't have security clearances? It just seems like an easy target for the administration to go after its enemies. And what's up with this hacking claim by Iran? Sounds like a classic case of "blame the other guy" . I'm not saying Bolton is innocent, but we need more context here before we start jumping to conclusions.

By the way, if Trump is so concerned about national security, why did he let his own administration get hacked by a foreign state actor? It just highlights the bigger picture – how secure are our national secrets really? The fact that Bolton's case is being pushed forward while we're still dealing with this issue is what I find really telling. Something fishy is going on here...

can't believe how deep the drama gets and what really sets me off is that trump uses the system to go after his enemies, meanwhile people like bolton get locked up for doing their job . i feel bad for him, they're just trying to keep him quiet but in the end it's all about protecting national security . and honestly who gets caught with hacked email accounts? that's some fancy espionage stuff . hopefully he gets a good lawyer to get him out of this mess

"Looks like Trump's 'enemy list' is getting longer ."

This is getting so wild ! Like, I'm not surprised that Trump would try to silence one of his former advisors, but 18 counts? That's some serious drama . I mean, can you blame Bolton for wanting to write about his experiences and share them with loved ones? It's a memoir, after all . But at the same time, sharing classified info without proper clearance is a no-go . This whole thing just highlights how complicated national security can be ‍.

And I gotta wonder, what's next? Is everyone who writes about politics gonna get hauled away by the authorities? Like, come on, can't we just have a free press and some honest conversations without fear of reprisal? . The justice system should be used to protect us, not silence us .

Bolton's defense about his notes being stolen by a foreign state actor is like, totally plausible . I mean, hackers are everywhere and it's only a matter of time before someone gets caught . But the fact remains, Bolton shared classified info without proper clearance, and now he's facing serious consequences .

Anyway, let's keep an eye on this case and see how it all plays out . It's gonna be a wild ride !

so like i was reading about john bolton and he's all "oh no im guilty" but really he's just saying its a setup lol the gov is trying to punish him for writing a book that didnt exactly praise trump his lawyer is like "hey dont believe me, trust Bolton" anyway idk if hes gonna win this thing or not, but its def juicy drama for us

here's how i'd represent this on a Venn diagram:
circle of "i think john bolton is guilty" vs
circle of "john bolton is innocent and being framed"

overlap: the jury is still out