John Bolton indicted He wanted to topple Trump - now he has to stand trial

Bolton once worked for US President Trump - today he is one of the Republican's fiercest critics. In the summer, the FBI searched Bolton's home and office. Now an indictment follows.

DPA

17.10.2025, 06:46

17.10.2025, 07:44

dpa

John Bolton, one of US President Donald Trump's fiercest critics, has been indicted. Trump's former National Security Advisor is accused of disclosing sensitive national defense information and unlawfully retaining such documents, according to the Department of Justice. A grand jury indicted him. The case in four points:

With the 76-year-old, another prominent Trump opponent is now officially accused by the judiciary. Weeks ago, the charges against former FBI Director James Comey, which allegedly came about under pressure from the president, made headlines. Comey is accused of making false statements.

Critics of Trump had feared that Comey could be just one of possibly more opponents against whom the US president is exerting pressure. Trump, on the other hand, said that he was concerned with "justice".

Commenting on the charges against Bolton, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said: "Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law."

The investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that Bolton had allegedly passed on top-secret information about personal online accounts and kept such documents in his home, FBI chief Kash Patel announced. This is in direct violation of federal law. The FBI had searched Bolton's house in August. Observers also saw the action as a demonstration of power by the White House.

According to the Department of Justice, Bolton is specifically accused in the indictment of passing on sensitive information containing intelligence on future attacks, foreign adversaries and foreign policy relations. The allegations relating to documents that he is said to have unlawfully stored in his home include intelligence information on the leaders of an opponent. If convicted, Bolton could face several years in prison, according to the ministry.

The US broadcaster CNN quotes Bolton's lawyer Abbe Lowell with a statement. The underlying facts in this case were investigated and clarified years ago, it says. According to the statement, the charges are based on Bolton's personal entries. It concerns records that were not kept under lock and key and were only shared with his family. The FBI had already been aware of these since 2021. The FBI is looking forward to proving once again that Bolton did not unlawfully disclose or retain any information.

Bolton was Trump's National Security Advisor for a time during his first term in office (2017-2021). The long-time diplomat, who is considered a foreign policy hardliner, resigned after around a year and a half in office in a dispute with Trump.

In 2020, Bolton then published a tell-all book ("The Room Where It Happened") in which he painted a damning picture of Trump. The Trump administration had previously tried in vain to stop the publication. It accused Bolton of publishing secret information. At times, there were also investigations into whether Bolton had passed on secret information. However, proceedings in connection with the tell-all book were dropped.

Only shortly after the start of his second term in office, Trump had the Secret Service withdraw personal protection for Bolton. The Secret Service is responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians and not only looks after the security of active office holders, but also that of some former office holders.

Bolton recently criticized Trump again for his dealings with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin during the Ukraine war.