John Bolton's memoir might have crossed legal lines by disclosing classified information, and the former national security adviser could face prison time for "profiteering off of America's secrets," according to President Donald Trump's White House adviser Peter Navarro.
"Judge Royce Lamberth warned that Bolton had 'likely jeopardized national security by disclosing classified information in violation of his nondisclosure agreement obligations,' " Navarro wrote for The Hill, citing a 2020 ruling that described Bolton as having "gambled with the national security of the United States."
Navarro contends that in the book "The Room Where It Happened," Bolton "wasn't just dishing gossip" but instead revealing Oval Office conversations, national security deliberations, and even confidential intelligence shared by U.S. allies.
"That isn't service," Navarro wrote. "That isn't patriotism. That's profiteering off of America's secrets."
Navarro pointed to passages where Bolton described U.S. strategies toward Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, negotiations with North Korea, and deliberations on Turkey's Halkbank case — all of which Navarro said involved sensitive information that should have remained classified.
"Such a disclosure of national-defense information without authorization can constitute a crime," Navarro argued, stressing that Bolton's revelations "humiliated our allies" and "shredded trust."
Navarro concluded that Bolton's conduct stands in contrast to presidents who hold declassification authority.
"Hey, John, the difference between you and a president is that presidents can take anything they want and declassify it," Navarro wrote. "And brother, you can't."
Navarro, who served time in prison for defying a congressional subpoena, warned that if prosecutors pursue Bolton's disclosures, the former national security adviser "may one day go to prison for shredding that Constitution, defying executive privilege, and trampling safeguards meant to protect America's security."
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