In an unexpected turn of events, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has been chiefly known lately for his criticisms of Donald Trump, is bracing for criminal indictments in Maryland. Prosecutors are reportedly on the verge of filing charges against him for the alleged hoarding and mishandling of classified national defense materials at his residence.
This shocking development was initially unveiled by The Wall Street Journal, which cited reliable sources saying, “Prosecutors in Maryland are expected in coming days to charge one of Trump’s first-term national security advisers, John Bolton, now a top Trump critic, with mishandling classified information.”
While Bolton is facing potential legal battlegrounds, Virginia prosecutors are also preparing to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges, which several observers feel are lacking in substance. James has, of course, refuted any wrongdoing.
Furthermore, investigations are ongoing into prominent Trump adversaries, including former CIA director John Brennan and former FBI director Christopher Wray, facing scrutiny after having previously irked conservatives by perceived partisan maneuvering.
Bolton’s notoriety isn’t limited to his advisory role; he has been outspoken against Trump through his appearances on major news platforms and within his memoir, The Room Where It Happened. Now, he stands accused of retaining sensitive notes and documents that the National Security Council had expressly ordered him to return.
Moreover, officials have suggested that Bolton misled investigators during a debriefing, claiming he had disposed of his notes from his tenure in the White House, only for the NSC to later retrieve classified materials, catching him in a web of contradictions.
On August 22, 2025, the FBI executed a series of searches authorized by a court at Bolton’s Maryland home and his Washington D.C. office, all part of a broader federal probe concerning the improper handling of classified information. According to unsealed court documents, agents confiscated a substantial number of electronic devices—including computers, tablets, and phones—along with boxes labeled “Trump I-IV” and a binder titled “Statements and Reflections to Allied Strikes.”
The search warrant affidavit, albeit partially redacted, alludes to potential infractions of the Espionage Act and laws pertaining to unauthorized retention or transmission of national defense data.
To explore the details further, you can access the affidavit here.
Jim Hᴏft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, esteemed among conservative news outlets in the United States. He has garnered accolades such as the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016.
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