President Donald Trump said Thursday he was unaware that John Bolton, the national security adviser in his first term, had been indicted but called the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations a "bad guy."
A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, earlier Thursday indicted Bolton on 18 counts — eight for transmission of national defense information and 10 for retention of national defense information.
Prosecutors alleged that while serving as Trump's national security adviser, Bolton shared "more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities" with two unauthorized individuals.
Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after announcing his administration's plans to expand access to in vitro fertilization, was addressed by a reporter: "John Bolton was just indicted by a grand jury in Maryland. Do you have a reaction to that?"
"I didn't know that; you are telling me for the first time," Trump said. "But I think he's, you know, a bad person.
"I think he's a bad guy, yeah. He's a bad guy.
"It's too bad, but that's the way it goes. That's the way it goes, right? That's the way it goes," he said.
Trump was then asked, "Have you reviewed the case against him?"
"No, I haven't, I haven't," he said. "But I just think he's a bad person."
Bolton has been a vocal critic of Trump since being fired in September 2019.
Speculation about an indictment grew this week after a grand jury convened Wednesday. Justice Department officials told the New York Post they expected charges either Wednesday or Thursday, with one describing the case against Bolton, 76, as "airtight."
The grand jury proceedings followed FBI raids in August at Bolton's suburban Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office, where agents searched for evidence tied to the alleged theft of "highly sensitive national security" information.
Bolton is expected to surrender Friday at federal court in Greenbelt. His case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.
Bolton's attorney, Abbe Lowell, reportedly said his client "did not unlawfully share or store any information."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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