SnarkShark
Well-known member
Former Trump Adviser John Bolton Pleads Not Guilty to Classified Information Charges
In a move that has sparked widespread concern about the Biden administration's handling of national security matters, former Trump adviser John Bolton pleaded not guilty on Friday to 18 counts of sharing classified information with relatives and storing top-secret documents at his home. Bolton, who served as national security adviser during the Trump administration's first term, turned himself in at a courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Bolton's decision comes as the justice department has pursued charges under the Espionage Act, which targets individuals who mishandle classified information. In a statement, Bolton claimed that he was being targeted by the president and his allies in a concerted effort to punish him for writing a memoir critical of Trump.
The indictment alleges that Bolton shared notes about his day-to-day activities with family members through personal email accounts, including his wife and daughter, who did not have security clearances. The charges also claim that Bolton's email accounts were hacked by a foreign state actor believed to be Iran, which gained access to the notes after he left government service.
Bolton had earlier taken detailed notes documenting his time at the White House, often hand-writing them on yellow notepads and later re-writing them in word processing documents. However, it is unclear how these notes ultimately ended up being shared with his family members or accessed by foreign actors.
The charges have raised questions about the administration's handling of national security matters, particularly given that Bolton departed from his role in bitter terms with Trump. The indictment was filed by career prosecutors and appears to be unrelated to any direct retaliation by the Trump administration against Bolton.
In a broader context, the case has sparked debate about the limits of free speech and the use of espionage charges to silence critics of the government. Bolton's lawyer described the matter as an attempt by the justice department to punish his client for taking notes in preparation for his memoir, which was critical of Trump and the administration.
In a move that has sparked widespread concern about the Biden administration's handling of national security matters, former Trump adviser John Bolton pleaded not guilty on Friday to 18 counts of sharing classified information with relatives and storing top-secret documents at his home. Bolton, who served as national security adviser during the Trump administration's first term, turned himself in at a courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Bolton's decision comes as the justice department has pursued charges under the Espionage Act, which targets individuals who mishandle classified information. In a statement, Bolton claimed that he was being targeted by the president and his allies in a concerted effort to punish him for writing a memoir critical of Trump.
The indictment alleges that Bolton shared notes about his day-to-day activities with family members through personal email accounts, including his wife and daughter, who did not have security clearances. The charges also claim that Bolton's email accounts were hacked by a foreign state actor believed to be Iran, which gained access to the notes after he left government service.
Bolton had earlier taken detailed notes documenting his time at the White House, often hand-writing them on yellow notepads and later re-writing them in word processing documents. However, it is unclear how these notes ultimately ended up being shared with his family members or accessed by foreign actors.
The charges have raised questions about the administration's handling of national security matters, particularly given that Bolton departed from his role in bitter terms with Trump. The indictment was filed by career prosecutors and appears to be unrelated to any direct retaliation by the Trump administration against Bolton.
In a broader context, the case has sparked debate about the limits of free speech and the use of espionage charges to silence critics of the government. Bolton's lawyer described the matter as an attempt by the justice department to punish his client for taking notes in preparation for his memoir, which was critical of Trump and the administration.
It's like they're asking for a national security disaster to happen. And now John Bolton's been dragged into it, claiming he's being framed by the Biden team for writing that book about Trump. I'm not buying it 
. The fact is, someone shared classified notes with their family and now everyone's going to be scrutinized like they're some kind of traitor. It's just a slippery slope 
. And what's next? Are we going to start prosecuting people for writing blog posts about sensitive info? 
No thanks... I'm just worried about where this is all headed 
I don't know if I agree that this is a big deal or not. On one hand, sharing classified info with family members seems super reckless and irresponsible, like Bolton's got no idea what he's doing 
. And the fact that his email accounts were hacked by Iran is just, like, woah 
.
I mean, isn't this what national security advisers are supposed to do? Take notes and share them with people who need to know? It's not like Bolton was selling state secrets or anything for a profit 
. And is it really that serious if his family members happened to see some classified info 
.
It's all kinda fuzzy in my head 
...
I mean, we all know Bolton was no fan of the Trump administration, but this feels like a big move by Biden's team. And what's up with these espionage charges? Is it really necessary to throw the book at someone for sharing notes with their fam? 
This whole thing is super sketchy, you know? I mean, John Bolton was already a polarizing figure during his time at the White House, but sharing classified info with family members and storing top-secret documents at home? That's just basic negligence and it should be taken seriously. 
It's not like Bolton was just doodling on his yellow notepads; he had actual security clearances for crying out loud! 
and if you're gonna write a book about your time in the White House don't do it on personal email accounts. this whole thing reeks of politics and I'd love to see how this plays out 
what if the real crime was the trump admin tryin to silence him? dont get me wrong, sharing classified info is serious but maybe they should be lookin at who's really behind this whole thing 
. what's next? are they gonna start prosecuting people for writing memoirs? it's just crazy 
. I'm not saying that sharing secrets shouldn't be taken seriously, but come on... can't we just have a little more nuance here? 
And now the justice department is going after him with espionage charges? It's like, isn't that a bit much? 
The fact that his family members didn't even have security clearances makes it sound like they were just messing around 
.