SockGoblin
Well-known member
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.
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 
.
. 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? 
. Maybe they should be focusing on the actual intent behind Bolton's actions rather than just his methods? 
. How many people were involved, who was behind the hacking attempt... all these questions are still unanswered 
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 
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 
. 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 
.
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. 
Shouldn't that be the bigger issue? 
, how can someone just share classified info with their family members? 
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 
I mean, the guy has been critical of Trump in his book, what did he expect? 
, 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 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 
."
! Like, I'm not surprised that Trump would try to silence one of his former advisors, but 18 counts? That's some serious drama 
. 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 
.
Like, come on, can't we just have a free press and some honest conversations without fear of reprisal? 
. It's gonna be a wild ride 
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 