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Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday (local time) pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to the improper handling of classified information, as reported by Al Jazeera.
According to Al Jazeera, Bolton appeared at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he turned himself in and entered his plea. He faces a total of 18 charges: eight counts of transmitting national defence information and ten counts of unlawfully retaining such materials. Each count carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years, meaning Bolton could face life in prison if convicted on all charges. Bolton, a veteran of four Republican administrations, previously served as Assistant Attorney General under Ronald Reagan, held diplomatic roles under George HW Bush, was appointed UN Ambassador by George W Bush, and served as National Security Adviser to Donald Trump. However, his tenure under Trump has drawn significant attention, with some observers suggesting the charges may be politically motivated, as reported by Al Jazeera. Bolton's indictment follows a recent wave of legal actions targeting prominent Trump critics after President Trump appointed personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. According to Al Jazeera, since taking office on September 22, Halligan has filed criminal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom have had high-profile disputes with the US President. Comey led the FBI's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, a probe Trump opposed and eventually shut down by firing Comey in 2017. James led a civil fraud case against Trump and his company, resulting in a USD 364 million penalty, later dismissed as excessive, as reported by Al Jazeera. Bolton became one of the first high-ranking former officials to face repercussions after Trump's return to the presidency in January. Just one day after the inauguration, Trump revoked Bolton's security detail, a move Bolton criticised, citing a 2022 Justice Department case in which an Iranian Revolutionary Guard member was charged with plotting to assassinate him. In August, FBI agents raided Bolton's home in Bethesda, Maryland, seizing hard drives and boxes of documents. The 26-page indictment unsealed Thursday stems from that investigation. Prosecutors allege Bolton "abused his position" by sharing over a thousand pages of classified material, some rated "Top Secret/SCI", with two unauthorised individuals, reported to be close family members. He is also accused of unlawfully keeping notes and records related to national defence, including handwritten diary-like entries later typed and shared electronically. The indictment also claims Bolton was targeted by a hacker linked to the Iranian government, who may have accessed some of the sensitive material in his possession. Critics have noted that Trump faced similar allegations over mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence. Though federal prosecutors accused Trump of attempting to hide the records, the case was dropped before his second term began, as sitting presidents are generally not prosecuted under Justice Department policy, as reported by Al Jazeera. Other Trump officials, such as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, have also been criticised for leaking sensitive information via the Signal messaging app, an issue Bolton condemned at the time. That criticism has now been cited in his own indictment to show he understood the security risks. Following his arraignment, Bolton was released and is scheduled to reappear in court on November 21. (ANI)
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