Former National Security Adviser John Bolton appeared in a Maryland federal courthouse Friday morning for his first hearing after being indicted on 18 counts related to mishandling classified information.
A federal grand jury charged him with eight counts of unlawful transmission and ten counts of unlawful retention of national defense materials, according to the indictment unsealed Thursday.
🚨 BREAKING: Disgraced former National Security Advisor JOHN BOLTON just SURRENDERED himself to authorities after facing federal charges related to the Espionage Act and mishandling classified information.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 17, 2025
Bolton is absolutely cooked. 18 counts.
He just did the walk of shame. pic.twitter.com/VDDnSistRG
Prosecutors allege Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of sensitive information through “diary-like entries” with his wife and daughter, identified as “Individual 1” and “Individual 2.”
Seven of the alleged transmissions occurred during his tenure in the Trump administration, and one shortly after he was dismissed in September 2019.
The indictment follows similar legal actions against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department intensifies efforts to pursue officials accused of violating national security laws.
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TIPP Staff
