We've all known this was likely coming since former National Security advisor John Bolton's home was raided by the FBI in August. Today, a grand jury indicted Bolton on 18 counts of mishandling classified documents.
Bolton is charged with eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. He served as Trump’s national security advisor from April 2018 through September 2019...
The 26-page indictment says that Bolton, both during and after his tenure as Trump’s national security advisor, “abused his position ... by sharing more than a thousand pages of his day-to-day activities as the National Security Advisor — including information relating to the national defense which was classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level-with two unauthorized individuals, namely Individuals 1 and 2.”
Those people, who were unidentified in the indictment, are relatives of Bolton and did not have security clearance to receive the information, the indictment says.
“Bolton also unlawfully retained documents, writings, and notes relating to the national defense, including information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level, in his home in Montgomery County, Maryland,” the indictment said.
The relatives Bolton allegedly passed information to may not be identified in the indictment but CNN has identified them as Bolton's wife and daughter.
He allegedly shared highly classified information with his wife and daughter over email, sources told CNN.
Sources previously told CNN that part of the Justice Department’s investigation centers around notes he was making to himself in an AOL email account — at times writing summaries of his activities like diary entries — when he was working for Trump.
FBI agents executed a search warrant on Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, DC, office this summer. The agents seized multiple documents labeled “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including some about weapons of mass destruction, according to court records.
The indictment also claims that hackers tied to Iran gained access to Bolton's AOL account and the information it contained.
According to John Bolton's indictment, he allegedly sent classified information over his personal AOL account that was then hacked into by agents of Iran. pic.twitter.com/By6eRbvv8K
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 16, 2025
The investigation into Bolton's handling of classified documents started in 2020 and was based around the publication of his book, which was highly critical of President Trump. A judge eventually allowed the book to be published. The investigation into Bolton was close a year later by the Biden administration.
The probe into Bolton’s alleged retention of classified documents was first launched years ago but later shut down by the Biden administration "for political reasons," according to a senior U.S. official.
The Justice Department under Trump’s first administration argued that Bolton’s 2020 memoir, "The Room Where It Happened," contained classified material and sought to block its publication. A federal judge ultimately allowed the book to be published...
In June 2021, the Biden Justice Department abandoned both a criminal inquiry and civil lawsuit against Bolton over the memoir, ending the legal battle at that time.
Bolton since then has frequently been critical of Trump. He was specifically critical of Trump's handling of classified documents which led to an FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago.
Bolton on mishandling classified info: "This is a serious crime. Devastating indictment. End of Donald Trump's career."
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 16, 2025
He was just indicted for that pic.twitter.com/atXjXoWFlU
President Trump was asked about the indictment a short time ago during a press conference at the White House. He said he hadn't heard about it or looked into it but said he thought Bolton was "a bad person."
🚨 BREAKING: "John Bolton was just indicted by a grand jury. Do you have a reaction to that?"
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 16, 2025
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "I didn't know that. You're telling me for the first time! I think he's a bad person. Too bad."
"That's the WAY IT GOES, RIGHT?" 😂
"He's a BAD person." 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QDH4TPFttA
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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