Trump's ex-NSA John Bolton surrenders, pleads not guilty to charges of mishandling classified information

John Bolton, who served as a national security adviser under US former President Donald Trump during his first term, surrendered himself to authorities on Friday (October 17) following a federal grand jury indictment accusing him of improperly handling classified documents. John Bolton was charged on Thursday (October 16) with allegedly sharing over 1,000 pages of classified government documents with two family members. The material, which Bolton may have planned to use for a book, reportedly included sensitive notes about high-level discussions with top officials, conversations with foreign leaders, and intelligence briefings. These charges come months after the FBI conducted raids at Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington office in the summer, where they reportedly discovered numerous documents marked as "secret," "confidential," and "classified," including some related to weapons of mass destruction.

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Who is John Bolton?

John Bolton, known for his outspoken views on US foreign policy, has spent decades in the public eye, especially through his roles in government, media, and as an author. A former federal prosecutor during President Ronald Reagan's second term, Bolton also worked at the State Department under George HW Bush in the early '90s before becoming a prominent supporter of the Iraq War in 2003.

During Barack Obama’s presidency, Bolton became a vocal critic of the administration’s foreign policy, primarily through his work with conservative think tanks and frequent appearances on Fox News. His views earned him a place in Donald Trump's inner circle when he was appointed National Security Adviser in 2018. However, Bolton’s tenure was short-lived; by 2019, he was dismissed after disagreements over key issues like North Korea and Iran.

After leaving the Trump administration, Bolton returned to his role as a political commentator, sharply criticising Trump’s foreign policy and even penning a book about his experience in the White House. He continued to publicly challenge Trump’s approach during the president's second term, particularly targeting what he described as a “disjointed” strategy on Ukraine, which he mocked in a column for the conservative Washington Examiner shortly after his office and home were searched by the FBI.