Bolton is alleged to have knowingly transmitted sensitive national security documents through his personal email account.

Bolton is alleged to have knowingly transmitted sensitive national security documents through his personal email account.

Former Trump national security advisor John Bolton was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday on charges of mishandling classified information. 

Bolton, who served in the advisor role between April 2018 and September 2019, is alleged to have knowingly transmitted sensitive national security documents through his personal email account.

In the 26-page indictment, Bolton was charged with eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. If convicted, Bolton could face up to 10 years in prison for each count of unlawful retention of national defense information and 10 years for each count of transmission of national defense information.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement, "There is one tier of justice for all Americans. Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law."

Trump was asked about the indictment in the White House on Thursday, to which he said, "I think he’s a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy. 

FBI Director Kash Patel said, "The FBI’s investigation revealed that John Bolton allegedly transmitted top secret information using personal online accounts and retained said documents in his house in direct violation of federal law. The case was based on meticulous work from dedicated career professionals at the FBI who followed the facts without fear or favor. Weaponization of justice will not be tolerated, and this FBI will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens our national security."

The indictment stated, "From on or about April 9, 2019, through at least on or about August 22, 2025, Bolton abused his position as National Security Advisor by sharing more than a thousand pages of information about 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."

"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."

Individual 1 was said to be related to Bolton, resided in Maryland, had never held a security clearance, "and was not authorized to access, receive, or maintain the classified information that Bolton shared related to his work as the National Security Advisor." Individual 2 was also related to Bolton, never held a security clearance, and was not authorized to receive the information Bolton shared.

"From on or about April 9, 2018, through on or about September 15, 2019, on a regular basis, Bolton sent diary-like entries to Individuals 1 and 2 that contained information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level. Bolton wrote many of these diary-like entries by transcribing his handwritten notes from his day's activities into word processing documents, which he then electronically sent to Individuals 1 and 2 through a commercial non-governmental messaging application."

The indictment added, "On other occasions, BOLTON used his personal non-governmental email accounts, such as email accounts hosted by AOL and Google, to email information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level to Individuals 1 and/or 2 at their personal email accounts."

The indictment stated that at an unknown time, but no later than August 22, 2025, many of these entries from Bolton, including those with sensitive information, were "printed and stored in Bolton’s personal residence in Montgomery County, Maryland. Digital copies of some of the diary-like entries that contained national defense information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level were also stored on personal electronic devices used by Bolton and others located in Bolton’s personal residence in Montgomery County, Maryland, on August 22, 2025.

Between September 2019 and July 2021, the indictment stated that a "cyber actor believed to be associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran" hacked Bolton’s email account "and gained unauthorized access to the classified and national defense information in that account, which Bolton had previously emailed to Individuals 1 and 2 while he was the National Security Advisor."

A representative for Bolton informed the government about the hack, but did not reveal that the account that had been hacked contained classified national defense information. 

This is a breaking story. Please refresh the page for updates. 

Bolton Indictment by Hannah Nightingale