President Donald Trump’s reported plan to seek vengeance upon his enemies has ramped up with the news that his onetime ally-turned-critic, John Bolton, is about to be indicted.
According to federal officials speaking to MSNBC, the U.S. Attorney in Maryland could federally indict Bolton as early as next week on accusations of national security breaches.
If so, Bolton would become the third Trump critic to have criminal charges brought against them in recent weeks, following the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security advisor during his first term but fell out of favor and was fired by the president.
In 2020, Bolton published a scathing tell-all memoir of his time in the administration and has continued to be outspoken about Trump ever since.
In August, Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, and his office in Washington, D.C., were raided by the FBI as part of a criminal investigation into the mishandling of classified documents.
The inquiry is reportedly a continuation of a previous investigation into allegations that his memoir contained classified information, with the FBI seizing documents and folders labelled “confidential” and “classified.”
Bolton’s attorney has insisted that “nothing inappropriate was stored or kept” and that the materials are normal records held following his 40-year career.
“NO ONE is above the law… FBI agents on a mission,” FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted at the time of the raids.
Trump himself kept large volumes of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, with the FBI recovering some 13,000 items at his Palm Beach residence and golf resort after he left office.
Trump was federally indicted on multiple counts of breaching the Espionage Act and obstructing justice, but the case was ultimately dismissed in July last year.
“The historical verdict on Trump will be devastating,” Bolton told 60 Minutes in August. “It’s rare to see one person being so destructive. He’s more like a vandal warlord than a constructive president. That’s what history will judge him on very severely.”
Trump’s second term has been characterized by an unprecedented targeting of political opponents in the justice system, media, and civil society organizations. He repeatedly made statements during his 2024 presidential campaign about exacting revenge on those he perceived to have slighted him.
His actions have been described as authoritarian and destructive to democracy, free speech, and the rule of law.
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