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Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton surrendered to federal authorities Friday after being indicted on 18 counts related to the improper handling of classified materials.
Photographers snapped images of Bolton leaving his home in Bethesda, Md., earlier Friday. He was later captured on news cameras walking into the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Md.
When asked by Fox News at the scene if he had comment, Bolton just walked into the building.
According to the indictment, Bolton was indicted on eight counts of transmission of National Defense Information and ten counts of retention of National Defense information.
“From on or about April 9, 2018, 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,” the indictment reads. “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 documents Bolton transmitted were sent to two individuals unauthorized to view classified documents.
Those documents, according to the indictment, revealed intelligence about future attacks by an adversarial group in another country; a liaison partner sharing sensitive information with the U.S. intelligence community; intelligence that a foreign adversary was planning a missile launch in the future and a covert action in a foreign country that was related to sensitive intergovernmental actions, among other information.
“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. “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.”
Bolton’s Maryland home had been raided by FBI agents in August. That search was focused on classified documents agents believed Bolton possessed.
“Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” Bolton said in a statement to The Associated Press, referencing President Donald Trump.
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, added to the AP that the “underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago.”
“Like many public officials throughout history,” Lowell was quoted as saying, noting that “Bolton kept diaries — that is not a crime,” and that, Bolton “did not unlawfully share or store any information.”
Lowell told the AP that the charges are linked to portions of Bolton’s personal diaries that he shared with only his immediate family and that the FBI knew about dating back to at least 2021.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.
Read the full article here
