Following Thursday’s revelation that John Bolton, the prominent Republican hawk and former national security adviser, faces 18 charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified information, he swiftly asserted that he is being targeted by President Donald Trump in a manner similar to past figures like former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Despite Bolton’s claims of political persecution, several factors suggest his legal challenges may be more severe than he portrays.

On Friday, Bolton entered a not guilty plea, attributing his legal troubles to what he describes as Trump’s retaliatory actions over his book, “The Room Where It Happened.” He argued, “I have now become the latest victim of Trump’s misuse of the Justice Department to charge perceived adversaries with previously dismissed allegations,” labeling the prosecution as an “abuse” of presidential authority.

Abbe Lowell, Bolton’s lawyer who also represents Letitia James, echoed these sentiments by highlighting that “the core facts of this case were scrutinized and concluded years ago.” This statement seemingly references reports that a Department of Justice investigation into Bolton was closed under the Biden administration in 2021.

Lowell elaborated, “These allegations are tied to Ambassador Bolton’s personal diaries from his extensive 45-year career—documents that are unclassified, shared solely with his close family, and recognized by the FBI since 2021.” He added, “Keeping diaries, as many public officials have done throughout history, is not illegal. We are eager to demonstrate yet again that Ambassador Bolton did not unlawfully disseminate or store any information.”

“These charges stem from portions of Amb. Bolton’s personal diaries over his 45-year career – records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021,” Lowell said. “Like many public officials throughout history, Amb. Bolton kept diaries — that is not a crime. We look forward to proving once again that Amb. Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information.”