A federal grand jury has indicted former National Security Adviser John Bolton, escalating the long-running feud between the ex-confidant and President Donald Trump. The US Justice Department, now under Attorney General Pam Bondi, announced the indictment on Thursday, with Bondi stating, 'No one is above the law.'
The indictment follows an FBI raid on Bolton's home in Bethesda, Maryland, in August. The raid was reportedly part of a classified document investigation. Bolton's attorney, Abbe Lowell, described the seized materials as 'the ordinary records of a 40-year career serving this country.'
Bolton served as Trump's national security adviser from 2018 to 2019. The partnership initially appeared strong, with Bolton advising Trump to withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Deal in May 2018. However, cracks emerged over North Korea and other issues, culminating in Trump firing Bolton via a social media post in September 2019. Bolton later claimed he had offered to resign and was told to discuss it the next day.
Following his dismissal, Bolton became a vocal critic. He refused to testify in Trump's first impeachment inquiry over Ukraine, and the Trump administration delayed the publication of his memoir, 'The Room Where it Happened,' citing security concerns. The book, published in June 2020, portrayed Trump as ill-informed and paranoid.
The Justice Department's prosecution underscores the ongoing legal and personal tensions between the two men, with Bolton now facing charges related to classified materials.
