WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors met Saturday to finalize the contours of a potential indictment against former national security adviser John Bolton over his handling of national security information, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, which had previously sought more time to shore up the case despite pressure from Justice Department leadership to charge Bolton late last month, has now lifted its objections and is working through charging details this weekend, the source said. Internal DOJ discussions have also touched on whether Bolton, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump, would be arrested in a manner visible to cameras — a so-called “perp walk.”
The push comes seven weeks after federal agents executed court-approved searches at Bolton’s home and private office, seizing documents and electronics. According to now-public court records, investigators recovered materials bearing classifications including “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” some referencing weapons of mass destruction. Agents also collected computers, a USB drive, and other devices, as well as files labeled “allied strikes” and “Trump I-IV.” Parts of the probe stem from a years-old inquiry into Bolton’s 2020 memoir manuscript — which officials initially said contained classified information — and from what authorities know about a foreign adversary’s past hack of Bolton’s email, the records indicate.
Bolton has not been charged and denies wrongdoing. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, has said any documents marked classified found during the recent searches were decades old and that Bolton “did nothing inappropriate.” A spokesperson for Bolton declined to comment Saturday; the Justice Department also declined comment.
The long-running investigation predates Trump’s second term but is moving forward amid a wave of prosecutions targeting figures the president has publicly criticized. Prosecutors involved in the Bolton matter view it as distinct from recent high-profile cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, which have drawn more internal resistance, multiple sources said.
Bolton, 76, served as Trump’s national security adviser until 2019, when he was dismissed following policy clashes. After publication of his memoir in 2020, Trump urged punishment for Bolton, escalating a feud that has continued publicly.
Any indictment would likely test the government’s approach to classified-records prosecutions and fuel a broader political fight over the Justice Department’s independence.
