A former senior advisor to President Trump, John Bolton, entered a plea of not guilty in a Maryland courtroom on Friday, facing allegations related to the mishandling of classified documents.
Bolton, who previously served as the national security advisor, stands accused of retaining top-secret documents at his residence and sharing classified information via email with family members. These charges come following an indictment earlier this week, tied to actions purportedly taken after his departure from the White House during Trump’s initial term.
Upon exiting the federal courthouse, Bolton declined to engage with reporters. However, he has previously expressed that he views these legal actions as an attempt by Trump to “intimidate his opponents.”
Bolton’s tenure as national security advisor ended in 2019 when he was dismissed by Trump. Subsequently, Bolton authored a memoir that was notably critical of the former president.
President Trump addressed the indictment on Thursday, stating, “I think he’s, you know, a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy. Yeah, he’s a bad guy. Too bad but that’s the way it goes.”
“I think he’s, you know, a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy. Yeah, he’s a bad guy. Too bad but that’s the way it goes,” the president said.
Bolton’s case comes as the Justice Department pursues cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
But this case is different from those against Comey and James. The inquiry into Bolton started under President Joe Biden.
The case garnered attention in August when FBI agents searched Bolton’s home. He’s specifically accused of sharing more than a thousand pages of notes with sensitive information with his wife and daughter.
The indictment suggests some of that material was exposed when operatives believed to be linked to Iran’s government hacked Bolton’s email.
