Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton was charged Thursday with illegally storing and transmitting classified information, setting the stage for a high-profile court case involving the longtime Republican foreign policy figure and outspoken critic of Donald Trump.
The 18-count indictment follows an investigation that came into public view in August, when the FBI searched Bolton’s home in Maryland and his Washington office for classified records from his years in government. Agents reportedly seized multiple documents labeled “classified,” “confidential,” and “secret,” including material on weapons of mass destruction, strategic communication, and U.S. missions to the United Nations.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s third national security adviser in 2018–2019, had a longstanding career in government, including roles in the Justice Department under Reagan, arms control at the State Department under George W. Bush, and a temporary stint as U.S. ambassador to the UN.
Questions about his handling of sensitive information date back to the 2020 publication of his book, The Room Where It Happened, which criticized Trump’s foreign policy knowledge. The Trump administration contended the manuscript contained classified material that could threaten national security, while Bolton’s lawyers argued that the book had undergone pre-publication review and included many documents approved by the White House, some dating back decades.
The indictment emerges amid scrutiny over Justice Department actions against high-profile figures. Unlike some cases filed by politically appointed prosecutors, Bolton’s charges were brought by a career U.S. attorney in Maryland, highlighting a difference in process compared with other recent high-profile investigations.
During his brief tenure in the Trump White House, Bolton clashed with the president over North Korea, Iran, and Ukraine policy, ultimately resigning in September 2019. After leaving office, he publicly criticized Trump and alleged in his book that the president linked military aid to Ukraine with investigations into Joe Biden, Trump’s 2020 election rival. Trump responded by calling Bolton a “washed-up guy” and claiming the book contained “highly classified information” published without approval.
The case marks a dramatic chapter in Bolton’s long career in U.S. foreign policy and national security. Observers are closely watching the developments, as the trial will test both legal boundaries on the handling of classified material and the ongoing political tensions surrounding Trump-era officials.
Tags: John Bolton, Trump Administration, Classified Documents, National Security, FBI Investigation, The Room Where It Happened, 2025 Indictments, U.S. Politics.
A U.S. fighter jet has reportedly been shot down over Iran, with a search and rescue operation underway for the...
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has hailed the growing importance of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) am...
Across China, people are taking part in a wide range of activities to honour fallen heroes ahead of the Qingming Festival, a traditional time for r...
The Central Eurasian Venture Forum has brought together investors, start-ups and technology leaders in Tashkent, highlighting the region’s ra...
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks wit...
A U.S. fighter jet has reportedly been shot down over Iran, with a search and rescue operation underway for the crew, Reuters reported on Friday
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
France and South Korea have agreed to strengthen defence ties and energy security cooperation following a two-day visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Seoul.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
President Donald Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in a prime-time address on Wednesday, saying the U.S. military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age.
A U.S. fighter jet has reportedly been shot down over Iran, with a search and rescue operation underway for the crew, Reuters reported on Friday
Across China, people are taking part in a wide range of activities to honour fallen heroes ahead of the Qingming Festival, a traditional time for remembrance and paying respect to the deceased.
France and South Korea have agreed to strengthen defence ties and energy security cooperation following a two-day visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Seoul.
In a highly unusual move highlighting shifting narcotics diplomacy, the U.S. has handed over a Chinese fugitive accused of serious drug crimes to authorities in Beijing.
Russian forces launched a day-long barrage of drone strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city on Thursday (2 April), injuring at least two people and sparking fires across several districts, local officials said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment