Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton pleaded not guilty Friday to all 18 counts related to the improper handling of classified materials after surrendering to federal authorities in Maryland.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan explained the charges to Bolton and asked if he understood them and the potential penalties of up to ten years per count and a maximum fine of $250,000 per count.
‘I do your honor,’ Bolton said during his arraignment at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Md.
He 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 allegedly transmitted were sent to two individuals unauthorized to view classified documents, the indictment said.
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.’
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.
When asked by Fox News at the scene if he had a comment, Bolton just walked into the building.
Bolton’s Maryland home had been raided by FBI agents in August. That search was focused on classified documents that investigators 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 Friday to The Associated Press, referencing President Donald Trump.
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, added in a statement to the AP that the ‘underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago.’
‘Bolton kept diaries — that is not a crime,’ he said, noting that Bolton ‘did not unlawfully share or store any information.’
Lowell told the AP that the charges Bolton faces are linked to portions of Bolton’s personal diaries and included unclassified information that was shared with only immediate family members. Lowell also said this was known to the FBI dating back to at least 2021.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.