Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has been charged with unlawfully retaining and transmitting materials related to national security. Prosecutors say he shared more than a thousand pages of personal notes with relatives and failed to turn over manuscripts and memos that may have contained classified information. The indictment has sparked political controversy: Bolton has become the third of Donald Trump’s critics to face charges in the past month.
The Wall Street Journal warned that following the indictment of former national security adviser John Bolton, President Donald Trump may continue his crackdown on political opponents.
In an editorial published on October 17, the newspaper called opposing Trump “a dangerous occupation,” adding that “working for him may be just as risky.”
“There is little doubt that the true motive behind this prosecution is revenge,” the paper wrote. “The president has targeted Mr. Bolton since at least 2020, when he demanded his prosecution following the publication of his book.”
Federal prosecutors accused Bolton of transmitting more than a thousand pages of “diary entries” to two relatives, as well as retaining documents, manuscripts, and notes related to national security.
The indictment was handed down shortly after former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James—both well-known critics of Trump—were charged by Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former personal attorney, whom he recently appointed acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Trump criticized Bolton after the search of his home and this week called him “a bad man.” However, the president said he had not reviewed the indictment materials against his former national security adviser.
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“Mr. Bolton will have the opportunity to defend himself in court, and we look forward to hearing his case. In our experience, he is a patriot who would never jeopardize national security,” the editorial stated. “He never shared classified information with us. It’s safe to say that if Mr. Bolton had praised Mr. Trump in his book, he would not have been charged.”