WASHINGTON — In a dramatic development, former National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland on charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified information, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Thursday.
Bolton, a longtime critic of former President Donald Trump, becomes the third prominent Trump adversary to face federal charges in recent weeks, following indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
A Widening Political Storm
According to senior Justice Department officials, prosecutors have been investigating whether Bolton improperly retained classified materials after his contentious departure from the Trump administration. The indictment comes just weeks after FBI agents searched Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office in connection with the probe.
Court filings revealed the FBI cited Bolton’s 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” and the hacking of his AOL account by a foreign entity as grounds for probable cause. The book, which detailed explosive accounts of Trump’s presidency, had already drawn Trump’s public fury prior to its release — particularly for alleging that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine to pressure officials to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Trump, who was later acquitted in his first impeachment trial, called for Bolton’s prosecution, claiming he had released “massive amounts of classified information.” Bolton, through his attorney Abbe Lowell, maintains that he handled all records “appropriately” and denies including any classified material in the book.
Years-Long Federal Investigation
Newly unsealed documents show that Bolton had been under FBI scrutiny for years, with agents interviewing him eight times between October 2020 and June 2025. Investigators reportedly seized documents labeled “classified,” “confidential,” and “secret,” including files described as “Weapons of Mass Destruction Classified Documents” and “U.S. Government Strategic Communications Plans.”
Political Context and Parallels
The charges against Bolton echo legal challenges once faced by Trump himself. The former president was indicted in 2023 for retaining and mishandling classified materials, but that case was later dismissed on procedural grounds by a Trump-appointed judge.
Similarly, James Comey faces charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding, while Letitia James has been accused of bank fraud tied to alleged misrepresentations on a mortgage application — charges she has denounced as “baseless” and politically motivated.
The timing of these prosecutions has fueled debate in Washington, as all three individuals had previously clashed with Trump or led investigations against him. The indictments also came after Trump’s public post on Truth Social in September urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take action” against Comey, James, and others, calling them “guilty as hell.”
What Comes Next
Bolton is expected to appear in federal court in Maryland next week. His legal team says he intends to fight the charges vigorously.
The Justice Department has not commented on whether additional indictments are expected.
As the political and legal fallout deepens, Thursday’s indictment marks a stunning new chapter in the widening rift between Trump and his former national security adviser, a rivalry that began in the Situation Room and now extends to the federal courthouse.
The Midtown Times will continue to follow this developing story as more details emerge.
By The Midtown Times Newsroom | Some of the facts are adapted from reporting by Peter Alexander, Ryan J. Reilly, Victoria Ebner, Dareh Gregorian, and Chloe Atkins of NBC News
