Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of sharing classified information, including diary-like notes he shared with relatives and storing classified documents at his home.
Bolton, a close associate of President Donald Trump's first term, appeared before US Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan in Maryland on Friday as he surrendered to authorities. The charges stem from his release of detailed notes about his day-to-day activities while serving as national security adviser. Bolton used personal email accounts to send these notes, which were then accessed by a foreign state actor believed to be Iran.
The indictment alleges that Bolton took extensive notes documenting his meetings, briefings, and daily activities while at the White House. He would often handwrite these notes on yellow notepads and later re-write them in word processing documents. These notes contained top-secret information and were shared with two unnamed individuals who did not have security clearances - believed to be Bolton's wife and daughter.
Bolton has portrayed the case as an attempt by Trump to punish him for writing a memoir that was critical of the president, titled "The Room Where It Happened". He claims this is just the latest example in what he calls "weaponizing the justice department" to target his perceived enemies. However, Bolton departed from Trump's administration under contentious terms.
The investigation into Bolton's alleged mishandling of classified information had been reopened after new evidence emerged through a foreign spy service. The CIA director and FBI director were briefed on the matter earlier this year, which appears to have reignited interest in investigating Bolton further.
Bolton, a close associate of President Donald Trump's first term, appeared before US Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan in Maryland on Friday as he surrendered to authorities. The charges stem from his release of detailed notes about his day-to-day activities while serving as national security adviser. Bolton used personal email accounts to send these notes, which were then accessed by a foreign state actor believed to be Iran.
The indictment alleges that Bolton took extensive notes documenting his meetings, briefings, and daily activities while at the White House. He would often handwrite these notes on yellow notepads and later re-write them in word processing documents. These notes contained top-secret information and were shared with two unnamed individuals who did not have security clearances - believed to be Bolton's wife and daughter.
Bolton has portrayed the case as an attempt by Trump to punish him for writing a memoir that was critical of the president, titled "The Room Where It Happened". He claims this is just the latest example in what he calls "weaponizing the justice department" to target his perceived enemies. However, Bolton departed from Trump's administration under contentious terms.
The investigation into Bolton's alleged mishandling of classified information had been reopened after new evidence emerged through a foreign spy service. The CIA director and FBI director were briefed on the matter earlier this year, which appears to have reignited interest in investigating Bolton further.
how can u just share classified info with ur family members? i mean i get it john bolton thinks trump is out to get him but 18 counts? that's like a whole lot of trouble 
i feel bad for his family too, gotta wonder if they knew what they were getting themselves into 
but come on john, use ur head! or maybe u just wanted attention 
i mean who else but trump would try to punish someone for speaking truth? and poor wife and daughter, sharing classified info with them?! that's just crazy 
sharing classified info with family members like that's just crazy talk! i remember when my dad used to work at the state department and he'd always stress about keeping things confidential. this john bolton guy must have had some serious issues to think it was okay to share that kind of stuff... and now he's got 18 counts against him? that's wild, dude 
i mean i get it trump wanted to punish him but come on 18 counts? that's some heavy stuff 
and now the CIA & FBI are back in the mix, this whole thing is getting super juicy 
i mean, come on 18 counts of sharing classified info? that's like playing with fire and you're gonna get burned. i'm not buying into bolton's whole trump vs him thing tho. if he thought releasing those notes was a good idea, then maybe he shouldn't be surprised when someone else finds out about them. 
i'm not saying trump or anyone else is innocent, but this whole thing just smells like a big mess waiting to happen... 
... if trump's got something against him, why not charge him with something? seems like trump is playing the victim again 
and what's up with these personal email accounts? shouldn't he be using a secure one for national security info? 
need to see more about this investigation before I believe anything 
that's like saying you can just hide behind a pile of paperwork and pretend you're not responsible for your own mistakes. Give me a break!
that's gotta be super stressful for him to deal with all these charges... I can imagine being in his shoes and having to worry about sharing secrets with family members 
it's not like he meant any harm, but the system has to follow the law, you know? 
it's all just so dramatic and intense, I don't even have words for it 
i'm not saying bolton did anything wrong (i don't even know the details) but this whole situation just has me shook 
. And what about Trump's own security clearances? Hasn't he ever shared classified info with anyone before? 
. It's like, we get it, you're upset, but this isn't how it works in public life 
. I mean, what if Iran had gotten their hands on those notes? It's not just Bolton's reputation that's on the line, but also our national security.
dont share it with your aunties on the grapevine 
Still, sharing that kinda info with people without proper clearance is a big no-no 
. Guess the US government is trying to keep its info under wraps 
It's like, come on, John! You can't just share top-secret info with your family members 