🚨 John Bolton Indicted on 18 Counts for Mishandling Classified U.S. Secrets

By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | October 2025

Former national security adviser pleads not guilty to charges of unlawfully retaining and sharing defense information; prosecutors cite “reckless disregard for national security.”

WASHINGTON (Oct. 17, 2025) – John R. Bolton, who served under President Donald Trump as National Security Adviser, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Maryland on 18 felony counts related to the alleged mishandling, storage, and transmission of classified national defense information, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The indictment, unsealed Friday morning, includes eight counts of unlawful transmission of national defense information and ten counts of unlawful retention under the Espionage Act (18 U.S.C. § 793). Prosecutors allege Bolton, 76, stored and shared classified documents outside secure facilities, including at his home in Bethesda, Maryland, and in personal emails to family members.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes

“Those entrusted with the nation’s most sensitive information bear the highest responsibility to protect it,” said Kelly O. Hayes, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, who was appointed to the role on February 28, 2025. “Violating that trust undermines the safety of our intelligence personnel and allies.”

The Justice Department alleges that Bolton sent “diary-like notes” describing National Security Council discussions and covert operations through non-secure personal accounts, and that at least one account was later compromised by a cyber intrusion linked to Iranian threat actors. Investigators say those breaches may have exposed classified material concerning U.S. operations abroad.

Bolton’s attorneys said in court that he â€œvigorously denies all charges” and maintains that none of the communications cited were classified.

“This prosecution is not about national security, it’s about punishing dissent,” said defense attorney Charles Cooper, calling the case a “politically motivated retaliation” for Bolton’s criticism of Trump and his 2020 book, The Room Where It Happened.

Court Proceedings and Restrictions

Bolton appeared Friday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he pleaded not guilty to all counts. He was released pending trial but ordered to surrender his passport and remain in the continental United States unless granted court approval to travel.
Pretrial motions are due by November 14, with a scheduling conference set for November 21, according to court records filed in United States v. Bolton, No. 25-cr-284 (D. Md.).

If convicted on all counts, Bolton could face up to 20 years in prison per transmission charge, though sentences for similar offenses are often served concurrently.

Broader Implications

The case comes amid a string of Justice Department prosecutions targeting former national security and political figures accused of mishandling classified materials, including ex-CIA officers and senior Trump administration aides. Legal experts say the indictment underscores the department’s effort to demonstrate evenhanded enforcement after politically charged investigations in recent years.

Former Justice Department national security prosecutor Mary McCord told the Associated Press that the charges “reinforce the message that classification duties apply equally, regardless of party or position.”

The indictment also renews scrutiny of the Trump administration’s recordkeeping practices. Bolton has been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics since his 2020 departure, accusing the former president of “abandoning American alliances” and “inviting authoritarian influence” into U.S. policy.

International Reaction

Early Friday, Iran’s foreign ministry issued a statement denying any involvement in the alleged email intrusion, calling the U.S. accusation “baseless.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s calm reminder, “the rule of law applies to everyone,” lands differently in a capital built on exceptions.


Meanwhile, the White House declined to comment on the active case, referring all inquiries to the Department of Justice. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said only, “The rule of law applies to everyone.”

Summary

The federal indictment of John Bolton marks one of the most significant prosecutions of a former top national security official in U.S. history. Prosecutors say Bolton’s actions endangered national security; his defense calls the charges political payback. As pretrial motions begin next month, the case will test how far the government can … or should … go in policing the classified conduct of its own.

Primary Sources:

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