Trump critic and ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton indicted in documents investigation

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who became a critic of President Donald Trump, was indicted Oct. 16 on charges of improperly retaining national defense information that allegedly included top secret documents.

The case marks the latest in a string of prosecutions of Trump's perceived enemies.

The indictment comes after federal law enforcement said in court filings that they obtained documents labeled "classified," "secret," and "confidential" during an August search of Bolton's office. The allegations represent the third criminal case brought against a major critic of Trump in about three weeks.

A lawyer Trump recently installed in a Virginia federal prosecuting office, who has no prosecutorial experience but has a personal relationship with Trump, secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, after Trump publicly called for Comey and James to face charges.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Bolton, said in a statement that the underlying facts in the case were investigated and resolved "years ago," before Trump returned to the Oval Office.

"These charges stem from portions of Amb. Bolton’s personal diaries over his 45-year career – records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021," Lowell said.

"Like many public officials throughout history, Amb. Bolton kept diaries – that is not a crime. We look forward to proving once again that Amb. Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information," the lawyer added.

Asked about the indictment in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, "I think he's, you know, a bad person."

"I think he's a bad guy. Yeah – he's a bad guy," the president said. "It's too bad, but that's the way it goes. That's the way it goes, right?"

Who is John Bolton?

Bolton served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush and was a national security adviser to Trump during his first administration. (Former ambassadors traditionally retain their titles after they no longer hold their positions.)

In the years since serving under Trump, Bolton became a fierce critic of the president. In 2020, Bolton told USA TODAY that he "probably would have" convicted Trump if he had been a senator during the real estate mogul's first impeachment trial.

Trump was accused in that trial of abusing power by withholding aid to Ukraine to pressure its government to investigate then-former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. The Senate acquitted Trump on that charge, largely along party lines.

What is John Bolton accused of?

The indictment alleges that between the time Bolton left the government in September 2019 and July 2021, a hacker believed to be associated with Iran gained access to his email and to classified and national defense information in the account.

A Bolton representative notified the government about the hack, according to the indictment, but didn’t say the account contained national defense information from his time as national security adviser.

Bolton was indicted on 18 counts, including retaining and transmitting national security documents.

The documents allegedly revealed covert actions planned by the U.S. government, intelligence confirming a foreign adversary was responsible for an attack and sources and collection methods used to obtain statements of a foreign adversary, according to the indictment.

The allegations against Bolton are similar to some of those once laid against Trump. A federal prosecution alleging Trump mishandled classified documents and a separate prosecution accusing him of conspiring to steal the 2020 presidential election were both dropped after he won the 2024 election.

Prosecutions against Trump foes

Trump's bitter history with Comey and James also goes back years.

Trump fired Comey from the FBI in 2017, as the bureau was running an investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to the Russian government. Now charged with lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding, Comey has declared his innocence publicly and pleaded not guilty in court.

James won a major civil lawsuit against Trumpfor financial fraud in 2024. A New York appeals court, however, threw out the $454 million penalty Trump was hit with as a result of the lawsuit, while keeping certain business restrictions against Trump in place. James' office is appealing that decision.

This story has been updated with additional information.