John Bolton, former adviser, charged with sharing classified information; Trump says, ‘He’s a bad guy’
The indictment marks the third time in recent weeks that the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against critics of Trump.
- Oct 17, 2025,
- Updated Oct 17, 2025 8:08 AM IST
John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, was charged on Thursday in a sweeping federal indictment with sharing sensitive government information with two of his relatives. The charges allege that Bolton transmitted and retained national defence information, including top-secret material, for possible use in a book he was writing.
The indictment marks the third time in recent weeks that the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against critics of Trump. Bolton faces eight counts of transmission and ten counts of retention of national defence information, all under the Espionage Act, each carrying a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison. No court appearance date for Bolton had been listed as of Thursday evening.
Prosecutors allege that from April 2018 to August 2025, Bolton shared more than a thousand pages of information about his daily activities as national security adviser with two unauthorised individuals, identified by people familiar with the matter as his wife and daughter. According to the indictment, the shared notes included discussions from meetings with senior officials, foreign leaders, and intelligence briefings. The indictment stated, "Bolton referred to the two people with whom he shared his daily notes as his ‘editors’.” In one message, Bolton wrote, "Talking with [book publisher] because they have a right of first refusal!"
The indictment also details that a "cyber actor" associated with the Iranian government hacked Bolton's personal email after his government service and accessed classified information. Prosecutors said a representative for Bolton told the government about the hack but did not report that he stored classified information in the email account. The government's investigation into Bolton reportedly began in 2022, prior to the Trump administration.
Bolton responded to the charges with a statement: "I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power." His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, also issued a statement, saying that Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information.
President Trump, when asked about the indictment on Thursday, said: "He's a bad guy."
John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, was charged on Thursday in a sweeping federal indictment with sharing sensitive government information with two of his relatives. The charges allege that Bolton transmitted and retained national defence information, including top-secret material, for possible use in a book he was writing.
The indictment marks the third time in recent weeks that the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against critics of Trump. Bolton faces eight counts of transmission and ten counts of retention of national defence information, all under the Espionage Act, each carrying a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison. No court appearance date for Bolton had been listed as of Thursday evening.
Prosecutors allege that from April 2018 to August 2025, Bolton shared more than a thousand pages of information about his daily activities as national security adviser with two unauthorised individuals, identified by people familiar with the matter as his wife and daughter. According to the indictment, the shared notes included discussions from meetings with senior officials, foreign leaders, and intelligence briefings. The indictment stated, "Bolton referred to the two people with whom he shared his daily notes as his ‘editors’.” In one message, Bolton wrote, "Talking with [book publisher] because they have a right of first refusal!"
The indictment also details that a "cyber actor" associated with the Iranian government hacked Bolton's personal email after his government service and accessed classified information. Prosecutors said a representative for Bolton told the government about the hack but did not report that he stored classified information in the email account. The government's investigation into Bolton reportedly began in 2022, prior to the Trump administration.
Bolton responded to the charges with a statement: "I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power." His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, also issued a statement, saying that Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information.
President Trump, when asked about the indictment on Thursday, said: "He's a bad guy."