WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging former National Security Advisor John Bolton with serious crimes related to the mishandling of classified information.
The indictment charges Bolton, who was the NSA under the first Trump administration, with eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of its unlawful retention.
The indictment alleges that Bolton illegally transmitted NDI by using personal email and messaging application accounts to send sensitive documents classified as high as Top Secret. These documents revealed intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign-policy relations.
The indictment also alleges that Bolton illegally retained NDI documents within his home. These documents included intelligence on anti-U.S. leaders as well as information revealing sources and collections used to obtain statements on a foreign adversary.
If convicted, Bolton faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of unlawful retention of NDI and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of transmission of NDI. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence, U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office launched a criminal investigation against Bolton in 2022 after his emails were hacked by Iran.
Bolton, 76, is the third high-profile former official and Trump's political adversary to be indicted within a month.
'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,' said FBI Director Kash Patel.
'There is one tier of justice for all Americans,' said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. 'Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law.'
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