Trump critic John Bolton surrenders after indictment on charges of mishandling classified info

John Bolton, the former National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump and a vocal critic of the Trump administration, surrendered to authorities today after being indicted on charges related to the mishandling of classified information. The indictment came a day after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) formally charged Bolton with 18 federal counts. 

The DOJ, led by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, had been investigating Bolton for mishandling classified documents during and after his time as National Security Adviser. Bolton now faces eight counts related to the transmission of national defense information and ten for the retention of such materials. 

This legal action follows the release of court documents last month, which revealed Bolton was under federal investigation for potentially mishandling classified materials. The charges were filed after an extensive probe into Bolton's activities and the unauthorised sharing of sensitive documents. 

Bolton, who served as National Security Adviser under Trump from 2018 to 2019, issued a statement declaring his intention to fight the charges. "I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose (Trump's) abuse of power," Bolton said. He also criticised the DOJ’s actions, adding, "Now, I have become the latest target in weaponising the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts." 

The indictment alleges that Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of notes, containing sensitive national defense information, with his wife and daughter. These notes included information gleaned from meetings with other US officials and foreign leaders, as well as intelligence briefings. Bolton’s use of a personal email account and messaging platform to send these notes is central to the case. Authorities claim some of this sensitive information was exposed after Bolton's email account was allegedly hacked by operatives believed to be linked to the Iranian government. 

Bolton, 76, is well-known for his hawkish foreign policy views and has been a longstanding figure in Republican foreign policy circles. He served as National Security Adviser for over a year before being dismissed by President Trump in 2019. Following his departure, Bolton authored a book that was highly critical of Trump and his administration. 

The indictment also accuses Bolton of improperly storing highly classified materials, including intelligence about a foreign adversary's plans to attack US forces overseas, covert US government operations, and other sensitive data that could jeopardize national security if exposed. 

(With inputs from agencies)