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Left: New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference regarding former US President Donald Trump and his family”s financial fraud case on September 21, 2022 in New York (photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images). Center: Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton, arrives for his arraignment at the Greenbelt Federal Courthouse in Greenbelt, Md., Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.). Right: Former FBI director James Comey gestures while speaking at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics’ JFK Jr. Forum in Cambridge, Mass., Feb. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File).
Following the announcement on Thursday that John Bolton, a prominent GOP hawk and former national security adviser, faces 18 charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified materials, he quickly asserted that he is the latest target in a series of persecutions by former Espionage Act defendant President Donald Trump. Bolton likened his situation to that of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, suggesting his legal troubles stem from being on Trump’s ‘enemies list.’ However, there are multiple reasons why Bolton’s legal challenges might be more severe than he claims.
Bolton, who entered a not guilty plea on Friday, attributed his legal woes to Trump’s vendetta in response to his book “The Room Where It Happened.” He argued that the charges are part of an effort to weaponize the Justice Department against perceived adversaries of Trump, describing the prosecution as an abuse of power.
Abbe Lowell, Bolton’s attorney who also represents Letitia James, remarked that the “facts of this case were investigated and resolved years ago,” referencing reports that a DOJ investigation into Bolton had been concluded during Biden’s administration in 2021.
Lowell explained that the charges involve entries from Bolton’s personal diaries accumulated over his 45-year career. He noted that these diaries were unclassified, shared only with family, and were known to the FBI since 2021. Lowell emphasized, “Keeping diaries, as many public officials have done historically, is not a crime. We are confident we will demonstrate that Bolton did not unlawfully share or store classified 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.”
