WASHINGTON — John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump turned prominent Trump critic, is expected to be charged with federal crimes soon, according to two federal officials with knowledge of the investigation.
Bolton served as one of Trump’s national security advisers in his first term before a contentious exit.
Trump publicly called for Bolton to be prosecuted in June 2020 after the then-former national security adviser wrote an unflattering book about his experience working for Trump.
Leading Trump critic Bolton has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s, particularly on foreign policy involving Russia, in the years since.
Bolton would be the third Trump critic to face criminal charges since late September.
WASHINGTON — Two federal officials with knowledge of the investigation say that John Bolton, a prominent Trump critic and former national security adviser, will soon face federal charges.
Bolton might face charges next week, according to one of the officials. According to the other, he might soon face charges.
The United States would file the charges. S. . Maryland attorney’s office, where Bolton resides, according to the officials. The initial report on the development came from MSNBC.
A request for comment from Abbe Lowell, Bolton’s attorney, was not immediately answered.
A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on grand jury-related issues.
“This Justice Department is one team in our mission to make America safe again, but as a matter of law, we will not discuss any grand jury matters with the media,” the spokesperson stated. Additionally, the Deputy Attorney General, the Attorney General, and the entire Main Justice team continue to enable our US Attorneys to seek justice in each and every case. “.”.
Bolton’s residence in Maryland and his residence in Washington, D.C., were searched by the FBI. commenced operations in August. At the time, an individual with knowledge of the situation told NBC News that the searches were a component of a “national security investigation in search of classified records.”. “.”.
According to Bolton’s attorney, Lowell, Bolton’s possession of documents bearing classified markings dates back to the George W. Bush administration, when Bolton was the U.S. S. ambassador to the UN, and would be similar to those held by a protracted government worker.
Searches were prompted by CIA information.
According to the source, FBI Director Kash Patel received intelligence from CIA Director John Ratcliffe that served as the foundation for the search warrant. Bolton was a national security adviser to Trump during his first term before his controversial resignation.
According to the source at the time, the searches were centered on Bolton’s handling of classified materials and possible ways in which these documents were leaked to news outlets. A criminal investigation that started during the Biden administration was connected to it, they added.
Potential violations of the Espionage Act, such as obtaining or disseminating national defense information without authorization and unlawfully possessing classified materials, were mentioned in search warrant affidavits pertaining to the searches that were made public last month.
When Bolton, the former national security adviser, wrote a book that was critical of his time working for Trump, Trump publicly demanded that he be prosecuted in June 2020.
“He made a great deal of confidential, classified, and classified information public.”. Trump said in an interview with Fox News at the time, “That’s illegal and you go to jail for that.”.
According to Bolton, he had complied with all legal requirements and had received a letter from a National Security Council official in 2020 stating that the book was free of classified material.
Trump was charged with mishandling top-secret documents and impeding efforts to retrieve them after he left office in 2023. However, the charges were dismissed in 2024 by Trump-appointed federal judge Aileen Cannon.
chief Trump detractor.
In the years since, Bolton has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s foreign policy, especially when it comes to Russia. Following the searches, Bolton persisted in his criticism of Trump’s foreign policy.
Bolton has also been the target of Trump’s frequent criticism, which has included derogatory remarks like “dumb” and “lowlife.”.
Days into his second term, Trump cancelled Bolton’s Secret Service detail despite the fact that a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was allegedly planning his murder for hire.
Since late September, Bolton would be the third Trump opponent to be charged with a crime.
Late September saw the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey on obstruction and false statement to Congress charges. On Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James was charged with bank fraud.
Those two indictments followed a Sept. Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against the two and Sen. in a May 20 post on Truth Social. The D-Calif Adam Schiff.
“Nothing will be done, even though they are all culpable,” the post stated. “We are unable to wait any longer. “”.
NBC News was informed by an administration official that Bondi was intended to receive the public posting as a direct message.
Both James and Comey have denied any wrongdoing and entered not guilty pleas to the charges.
