Former Trump NSA John Bolton Faces 18 Charges for Mishandling Classified Information: What You Need to Know

John Bolton, 76, who served as US National Security Adviser from 2018 to 2019 under President Donald Trump, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland on 18 charges.

The indictment includes eight charges for sharing national defense secrets and ten for retaining classified information. These charges stem from Bolton allegedly sending over 1,000 pages of "diary" notes containing sensitive national defense information to family members without security clearances.

Bolton has held several high-level positions in the US government, including US Ambassador to the United Nations. Known for his hawkish foreign policy stance, he became one of Trump's most outspoken critics after leaving the administration, publishing a critical memoir titled "The Room Where It Happened."

The Justice Department investigation focused partially on Bolton's use of personal communication channels, including an AOL email account, to document and share his daily activities in the White House. Some of these emails were later compromised by hackers linked to Iran.

According to officials, Bolton failed to disclose that these personal accounts contained classified information. The investigation was conducted during the Biden administration through standard Justice Department procedures, unlike other cases where Trump had intervened with prosecutors.

In response to the indictment, Bolton has characterized it as a politically motivated attack orchestrated by Trump. "When my e-mail was hacked in 2021, the FBI was made fully aware. In four years of the prior administration, after these reviews, no charges were ever filed," Bolton stated according to ABC News.

He further claimed that the charges represent Trump's "intensive effort to intimidate his opponents," adding, "Dissent and disagreement are foundational to America's constitutional system, and vitally important to our freedom. I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power."

If convicted, Bolton could face up to 10 years in prison for each count, potentially resulting in a life sentence. He is expected to surrender to authorities and make a court appearance in Greenbelt, Maryland.

This case joins other high-profile investigations under the Espionage Act, which has previously been applied in cases involving Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.