John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security adviser before becoming a vocal critic of the president, has been criminally indicted on federal charges.
The Department of Justice presented a case to a grand jury in Maryland on Thursday, and they agreed there was enough evidence to indict Bolton, who issued a statement maintaining his innocence.
It comes after FBI agents searched Bolton's home and office in August as part of an investigation into the handling of classified information.
The indictment makes Bolton, 76, the third of the US president's political opponents to face charges in recent weeks. He could face decades in prison.
According to a 26-page indictment filed at a court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Thursday, Bolton is charged with eight counts of transmission of national defence information (NDI) and ten counts of unlawful retention of NDI.
Prosecutors accuse him of illegally transmitting top secret information about US national defence using his personal email and other messaging apps.
These documents revealed intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign-policy relations, the court papers state.
If found guilty, Bolton could face up to ten years in prison for each charge. He is expected to surrender to authorities on Friday.
No one is above the law, US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in announcing the charges.
Bolton said in a statement that he looked forward to defending his lawful conduct in court as he accused Trump of seeking retribution against me.
Bolton's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, clarified that the charges stem from diary entries kept by Bolton over his 45-year career in public service.
Despite these serious allegations, Bolton asserts that his records were unclassified and shared solely with family members, adding that the FBI has been aware of them since 2021.
The fallout from Bolton's actions comes as the US Department of Justice continues its investigation into allegations concerning the mishandling of classified information.
Recent events have revealed a troubling pattern of legal challenges against Trump's critics, drawing attention to the narrow line separating governance and personal vendettas in the political landscape.
