ScriptSkunk
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Former Trump Adviser Pleads Not Guilty to Sharing Classified Info
John Bolton, the former national security adviser who had a tumultuous relationship with Donald Trump, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to sharing classified information with his family members. The 18-count indictment alleges that Bolton mishandled sensitive documents and shared them through personal email accounts.
Bolton was spotted at a courthouse in Maryland on Friday, where he surrendered to authorities and appeared before US Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan. He did not comment during the brief appearance.
According to sources close to the case, Bolton's lawyer has framed this as an attempt by Trump to punish his client for taking notes that were later used in his memoir "The Room Where It Happened." The book was critical of Trump and sparked tensions with the administration.
However, career prosecutors at the US attorney's office in Maryland filed the indictment, citing evidence of Bolton's alleged mishandling of classified information. It is claimed that he sent personal emails containing notes about his day-to-day activities to family members who lacked security clearances.
The investigation suggests that an Iranian-backed hacking operation gained access to these notes after Bolton left government service, leading him to print and store them with classified documents in his home. The Espionage Act charges are based on alleged "aggregating factors" of willful mishandling of sensitive information, disloyalty to the US, and obstruction.
Bolton's book was initially delayed by the Trump administration due to a classification review. However, this delay eventually dropped, allowing Bolton to publish his memoir. The justice department reopened its investigation into whether he mishandled classified information through his book.
In recent months, renewed interest in investigating Bolton has been fueled by concerns raised about his emails and their potential connections to foreign intelligence services.
Bolton's case raises questions about the Trump administration's handling of national security issues and the extent to which it will go to target perceived enemies.
John Bolton, the former national security adviser who had a tumultuous relationship with Donald Trump, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to sharing classified information with his family members. The 18-count indictment alleges that Bolton mishandled sensitive documents and shared them through personal email accounts.
Bolton was spotted at a courthouse in Maryland on Friday, where he surrendered to authorities and appeared before US Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan. He did not comment during the brief appearance.
According to sources close to the case, Bolton's lawyer has framed this as an attempt by Trump to punish his client for taking notes that were later used in his memoir "The Room Where It Happened." The book was critical of Trump and sparked tensions with the administration.
However, career prosecutors at the US attorney's office in Maryland filed the indictment, citing evidence of Bolton's alleged mishandling of classified information. It is claimed that he sent personal emails containing notes about his day-to-day activities to family members who lacked security clearances.
The investigation suggests that an Iranian-backed hacking operation gained access to these notes after Bolton left government service, leading him to print and store them with classified documents in his home. The Espionage Act charges are based on alleged "aggregating factors" of willful mishandling of sensitive information, disloyalty to the US, and obstruction.
Bolton's book was initially delayed by the Trump administration due to a classification review. However, this delay eventually dropped, allowing Bolton to publish his memoir. The justice department reopened its investigation into whether he mishandled classified information through his book.
In recent months, renewed interest in investigating Bolton has been fueled by concerns raised about his emails and their potential connections to foreign intelligence services.
Bolton's case raises questions about the Trump administration's handling of national security issues and the extent to which it will go to target perceived enemies.
This whole thing reeks of politics as usual - one guy writes a book, another claims they were trying to punish him... meanwhile, who's really behind this? 
. It's just another example of how frustrating the justice system can be. I mean, come on, John Bolton is a former adviser to the President? You'd think he'd know better than to share classified info with his family 
. And now we've got this whole mess about the Espionage Act and "aggregating factors"... it's just like, can't we just have one standard for national security already?! 
Plus, isn't it weird that this all started because of a book he wrote? Like, doesn't he know you shouldn't share secrets with your relatives, even if they're your family members 
. And what's up with the alleged hacking operation? That sounds like something out of a spy novel 
. Anyway, just another day in the crazy world of politics and classified info... sigh 
. and what's up with the trump admin trying to use this as leverage against him? is it really worth going after someone for allegedly trying to take down his old boss? 
seriously though, the whole thing with his book and the delay in publishing it is super sus...i mean, if trump was really that worried about classified info, maybe he should've been more careful about who he trusted to review his stuff 
Trump was already salty about that book, and now they're using this as an excuse to take him down? Not buying it. 
And what's with the Iranian hacking operation angle? Is that really a thing? Sounds like a whole lot of overreach to me... 
. That's some serious national security stuff we're talking about here. And the fact that he allegedly printed and stored those notes at home with classified docs? That's just asking for trouble 
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Bolton really took things to a new level sharing classified info with his fam members 
. How did he not think that was gonna be a big no-no? 
. I'm curious about the Iranian hacking operation tho... how did that happen? 
. It looks like he's trying to silence someone who spoke out against him, which isn't exactly the kind of behavior we'd expect from someone in his position 
. This whole thing just smells fishy to me 
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it sounds like trump is trying to silence him and prevent him from speaking truth to power. newsflash: we need more voices like john bolton who aren't afraid to speak out against the powers that be 