Former National Security Advisor John Bolton is reportedly facing potential federal charges, accused of mishandling classified government documents. The allegations center around claims that Bolton used a personal AOL email account to transmit and store sensitive information.
While no formal indictment has been issued, sources suggest a grand jury in Maryland is likely to bring charges soon. This development follows a series of FBI raids on Bolton’s Maryland residence and his Washington, D.C. office. During these searches, agents reportedly seized documents marked as “classified,” “confidential,” and “secret,” including materials related to weapons of mass destruction and strategic communications.
The expected indictment will likely detail Bolton’s alleged improper handling of classified information during his tenure as National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump. Specifically, Bolton is accused of using his personal email to share and store classified information between 2018 and 2019, using daily notes and summaries of his activities at the White House.
These documents reportedly contained sensitive national security details, leading federal authorities to search his home in August 2025, seeking information of “high national security sensitivity.”
A Justice Department official reportedly told the New York Post that the case against Bolton is “rock solid.”
During the raid, FBI agents reportedly recovered a white folder labeled “statement and reflections on allied attacks,” which included folders labeled “Trump I-IV.” The FBI also seized four boxes labeled “printed daily activities,” as well as “two iPhones, four computers and hard drives, and two USB drives,” according to a Justice Department file.
The investigation into Bolton’s alleged mishandling of classified documents began in 2020, revealing Bolton’s decision to allegedly transfer classified documents to his home before Trump fired him in 2019.
However, the investigation was reportedly dropped during the previous Biden administration due to “political reasons,” authorities said at the time, although it has since been reopened under the direction of the FBI.
Bolton has been openly critical of President Trump’s foreign policy since leaving the administration. His time in the Trump administration was also marked by significant policy disagreements, particularly regarding strategies toward Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan.
These differences led to Bolton’s firing in September 2019, with Trump citing “strong disagreements” on foreign policy as the main reason.
His behavior has also drawn bipartisan scrutiny for his aggressive tactics, aggressive policies and potential legal violations, covering his terms in the Bush and Trump administrations, his published works and ongoing investigations.
In particular, as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, Bolton pressured intelligence analysts to exaggerate evidence of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to justify the US invasion. He attacked analysts like Christian Westerman, who refuted the claims.
This situation highlights the importance of protecting classified information and the potential consequences of mishandling it. It also underscores the need for those in positions of power to act responsibly and ethically when dealing with sensitive government documents. The legal process should run its course to determine the facts and hold those responsible accountable, while safeguarding national security and maintaining the integrity of our government institutions.
