John Bolton previously called for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to be executed under the Espionage Act – but now it’s Bolton’s turn in the barrel as he faces 18 counts under the Espionage Act.
Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton was indicted by a grand jury in Maryland last Thursday.
- Counts 1–8: Transmission of National Defense Information
- Counts 9–18: Retention of National Defense Information
Read the indictment here.
John Bolton transmitted classified emails over a private server system and they were intercepted by Iran, according to the indictment.
According to the 26-page indictment, Bolton shared the classified documents with two unnamed relatives. While the indictment did not name the relatives, a previous leak to The New York Post revealed that Bolton shared the documents with his wife and daughter.
If convicted, Bolton, 76, is facing up to 180 years in prison.
Bolton previously called for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Chelsea (Bradley) Manning to be executed under the Espionage Act.
WATCH:
John Bolton called for Assange, Snowden and Manning to be executed under the Espionage Act, for communicating true information to the public.
Now Bolton faces 18 counts under the Espionage Act for mishandling national defense information. pic.twitter.com/pr0H7pkfUL— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 17, 2025
John Bolton lashed out at President Trump last Thursday evening after a grand jury returned a damning 18-count indictment.
Bolton said he has become the “latest target in the weaponizing the Justice Department.”
“When my e-mail was hacked in 2021, the FBI was made fully aware. In four years of the prior administration, after these reviews, no charges were ever filed,” Bolton said defending his use of a private server to transmit classified material.
“These charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct,” Bolton said.
“Then came Trump 2 who embodies what Joseph Stalin’s head of secret police once said, “You show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime,’” Bolton said. “Dissent and disagreement are foundational to America’s constitutional system, and vitally important to our freedom.”
Bolton said he looks forward to defending his “lawful” conduct and to expose Trump’s “abuse of power.”