John Bolton, who served as National Security Adviser under President Donald Trump, was indicted on October 16, 2025, by a federal grand jury in Maryland. The indictment comprises eight counts of unlawful transmission and ten counts of unlawful retention of national defense information. Prosecutors allege that Bolton used a personal email account and messaging application to transmit sensitive documents and retained classified materials at his Maryland residence and Washington, D.C., office. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/justice-department-seek-indictment-ex-national-security-adviser-bolton-bloomberg-2025-10-16/?utm_source=openai))
The investigation into Bolton’s handling of classified information began during the Biden administration and continued under the current Justice Department. In August 2025, FBI agents executed search warrants at Bolton’s home and office, seizing documents marked as classified, including some referencing weapons of mass destruction. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/942f6032bb85885e5007512ef5f7a2e5?utm_source=openai))
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has stated that many of the documents seized were decades old and had been approved during the pre-publication review of Bolton’s 2020 book, “The Room Where It Happened.” Lowell emphasized that a thorough review would exonerate Bolton. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/942f6032bb85885e5007512ef5f7a2e5?utm_source=openai))
This indictment adds to recent politically charged prosecutions involving former officials, raising questions about the perceived weaponization of the Justice Department. Bolton, a longtime Republican figure with roles dating back to the Reagan administration, has been a vocal critic of President Trump since leaving his position in 2019. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/1e21da0591d1195fbf58c0df28d57c9f?utm_source=openai))
Bolton has denied any wrongdoing and is expected to appear in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, to respond to the charges. The case will be heard by Judge Theodore D. Chuang. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecution_of_John_Bolton?utm_source=openai))