Trump critic John Bolton indicted for mishandling classified info

John Bolton, Donald Trump's former national security advisor, was indicted on Thursday -- the third foe of the U.S. president to be hit with criminal charges in recent weeks.

The 76-year-old veteran diplomat was charged by a federal grand jury in Maryland with 18 counts of transmitting and retaining classified information.

The 26-page indictment accuses Bolton of sharing top secret documents by email with two "unauthorized individuals" who are not identified but are believed to be his wife and daughter.

It says he shared more than 1,000 pages of "diary-life" entries about his work as national security advisor via non-government email or a messaging app.

The Justice Department said the documents "revealed intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign-policy relations."

Each of the counts carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

"Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

In a statement to U.S. media, Bolton refuted the charges and said he had "become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department... with charges that were declined before or distort the facts."

Asked for his reaction to Bolton's indictment, Trump told reporters his former aide is a "bad guy" and "that's the way it goes."

AFP