Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted on 18 counts of mishandling classified information, pleading not guilty to the charges. The indictment, issued this week, accuses Bolton of sharing "diary-like entries" with two unnamed individuals and using his personal email account to transmit messages containing sensitive materials.
Bolton's defense team maintains that his actions were lawful conduct, describing the records in question as "unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI since 2021". His attorney, Abbe Lowell, described the situation, saying Bolton was a victim of a hacking attack from a cyber actor believed to be associated with Iran.
Bolton faces significant scrutiny over his handling of classified information since 2020. At that time, he sought to publish a book about his time in Donald Trump's first administration, which the Justice Department attempted to block due to potential classified information. However, a federal judge ultimately ruled against the government, rebuking Bolton for "gambling with the national security of the United States".
The case has brought new attention to the contentious relationship between former US Presidents and their advisors. Donald Trump frequently attacked Bolton on social media and publicly criticized him as his most vocal public critic.
Bolton's indictment follows recent charges against two other Trump associates, ex-FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Justice Department has taken a firmer stance in pursuing charges against its perceived enemies, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the US Justice Department and the Trump administration.
The case will be heard again on November 21st as Bolton awaits his next court hearing, where he is scheduled to appear.
Bolton's defense team maintains that his actions were lawful conduct, describing the records in question as "unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI since 2021". His attorney, Abbe Lowell, described the situation, saying Bolton was a victim of a hacking attack from a cyber actor believed to be associated with Iran.
Bolton faces significant scrutiny over his handling of classified information since 2020. At that time, he sought to publish a book about his time in Donald Trump's first administration, which the Justice Department attempted to block due to potential classified information. However, a federal judge ultimately ruled against the government, rebuking Bolton for "gambling with the national security of the United States".
The case has brought new attention to the contentious relationship between former US Presidents and their advisors. Donald Trump frequently attacked Bolton on social media and publicly criticized him as his most vocal public critic.
Bolton's indictment follows recent charges against two other Trump associates, ex-FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Justice Department has taken a firmer stance in pursuing charges against its perceived enemies, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the US Justice Department and the Trump administration.
The case will be heard again on November 21st as Bolton awaits his next court hearing, where he is scheduled to appear.
but on the other hand if abbe lowell's saying it was a hacking attack from iran then that's a whole different story 
i'm not sure what to think about this one, it's like we're living in a real-life game of cat and mouse between the justice department and trump loyalists 
.
. The fact that his defense team claims he was hacked by a cyber actor from Iran adds a layer of intrigue, but one can't help but wonder if this is merely an attempt to deflect blame 
.
. The tension between loyalty and duty can be a treacherous tightrope to walk, especially when it comes to matters of national security 
. Will we see more high-profile cases like this in the future? Only time will tell 
.
and what's with trump attacking him online? didn't they used to be friends or something? 
anyway, this whole thing is kinda confusing... can someone explain it to me like i'm 5? 
it's all kinda confusing tbh...
but for now, it's all a bit of a mess 
I get why he might want to tell his story, but you'd think the Justice Department would've been more careful. It just feels like there are so many people involved and so much at stake here.
You're going through a tough time, but hopefully things will get sorted out soon and you'll be able to focus on your next move without all the drama.
anyway, it just goes to show how messy the Trump era was - all these people got in trouble for basically doing their jobs and speaking out... 