Ex Trump adviser Bolton surrenders after being indicted for mishandling classified information

According to the indictment filed in federal court in Maryland, Bolton faces eight counts of transmitting and 10 counts of retaining national defence information under the Espionage Act. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

“I look forward to the fight”

The indictment accuses Bolton of sharing sensitive notes from intelligence briefings and meetings with foreign leaders with two relatives later identified as his wife and daughter for possible use in a book he was writing.

“I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose Trump’s abuse of power,” Bolton said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said his client “did not unlawfully share or store any information.”

“He’s a bad guy”

President Trump, who has sought legal action against several critics since returning to office, told reporters at the White House: “He’s a bad guy.”

Reuters reported that Trump had previously urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue cases against figures such as former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term before becoming one of his strongest critics. In his 2024 memoir, he described Trump as “unfit to be president.”

The Justice Department investigation into Bolton began in 2022, before Trump’s current administration. Officials inside the department consider the case against him stronger than earlier prosecutions of other former officials, Reuters said.