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Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton Indicted, CNN Reports

Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton Indicted, CNN Reports
(AP)

By    |   Thursday, 16 October 2025 04:41 PM EDT

A federal grand jury in Maryland has returned an indictment against John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser.

The development was first reported Thursday by CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

The indictment represents an escalation of tensions between Trump and one of his most prominent internal critics.

The indictment accuses Bolton of mishandling classified information, part of a broader Justice Department inquiry into whether he retained or transmitted secret or national defense information after leaving government.

The case is being handled by career prosecutors in Maryland, rather than prosecutors in politically sensitive districts.

While the full indictment has not yet been unsealed, multiple media outlets — including Reuters and The Associated Press — reported that the charges are tied to the federal investigation sparked by FBI searches of Bolton’s Maryland home and his Washington, D.C., office in August.

According to publicly available court filings and the inventory of seized material, investigators recovered documents marked “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including items related to weapons of mass destruction, strategic communications, and U.S. interests at the United Nations.

The affidavit supporting the search warrants references alleged retention of national defense information and probable cause to believe Bolton may have been in unlawful possession of materials that should have been turned over to government archives.

One redacted portion of the affidavit suggests that Bolton’s personal AOL email account had been hacked by a foreign entity, and that the government recovered emails from that account that raised questions about whether he had transmitted classified materials through it. 

Media outlets report that the allegedly illicit conduct spans multiple counts — potentially unauthorized retention of national defense information, improper transmission of classified records, and false statements to federal investigators.

Bolton is expected to plead not guilty.

If convicted, each count could carry substantial prison terms, possibly up to 10 years or more per violation, depending on the charges and statutes involved, said wire services and the New York Post.

Bolton is a veteran diplomat and national security figure who served under multiple Republican administrations.

Trump appointed him as national security adviser in April 2018, but their relationship quickly soured over foreign policy differences, particularly on Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan.

Trump dismissed him in September 2019.

Following his departure, Bolton emerged as one of the president’s fiercest critics.

His 2020 memoir, "The Room Where It Happened," portrayed Trump as erratic and self-interested in foreign affairs.

The book’s release sparked controversy after the White House claimed it contained classified material that had not been cleared through prepublication review — a dispute that foreshadowed the current indictment.

Bolton has continued to speak out publicly against Trump’s leadership and foreign policy, accusing him of undermining national security.

Trump, in turn, has frequently mocked Bolton and threatened legal action over what he has described as “betrayal” and “unauthorized disclosures.”

Bolton’s indictment comes amid a wave of investigations involving figures who have been publicly critical of Trump. 

One such case involves special counsel Jack Smith, who previously led the federal investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol breach probe.

Trump has accused Smith of corruption and bias, and Smith himself has reportedly faced internal reviews ordered by Trump-appointed officials.

In another example, New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted earlier this month in Virginia on bank fraud and false-statement charges linked to a 2020 property transaction.

James has denounced the case as political retaliation for her civil fraud prosecution against Trump’s business empire in New York.

Trump and his allies have defended the prosecutions as necessary to uphold the rule of law, asserting that prior administrations ignored misconduct by establishment figures.

Officials close to the White House note that Bolton’s case is being handled by career prosecutors, not political appointees, as evidence of independence in the process.

Bolton is expected to be arraigned later in October.

Legal proceedings will likely include motions to suppress evidence and challenges to the legality of the searches. Because the case involves classified material, much of the evidence and argument could take place under seal or in closed hearings under the Classified Information Procedures Act.

The indictment of a former national security adviser under a sitting president who once employed him is without precedent. The case underscores the deepening political and institutional tensions defining Trump’s second term — and may further test the limits of presidential power over the Justice Department.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


Politics
John Bolton, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser who later became a critic, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland, CNN reported on Thursday, citing two sources. This is a breaking news story. Check back for developments....
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Thursday, 16 October 2025 04:41 PM
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