The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing [1] to file criminal charges against former National Security Advisor John Bolton as early as next week, according to a report from NBC News on Friday.
Prosecutors in Maryland are reportedly considering whether to pursue an indictment through a federal grand jury or to expedite the process by filing a direct criminal complaint in court.
If prosecutors take the latter approach, formal charges could be announced within days, NBC reported.
Bolton, 76, served as National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019.
BREAKING: Disgraced former National Security Advisor and deep state warmonger John Bolton is expected to be charged NEXT WEEK, following the FBI raid on his home
KEEP THE ARRESTS COMING! pic.twitter.com/eHCLj19eau [2]
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 10, 2025 [3]
A longtime foreign policy hawk and advocate for U.S. intervention abroad, Bolton has been a frequent critic of Trump’s foreign policy decisions since leaving office.
He also publicly supported the Department of Justice’s investigations against Trump in 2020.
According to MSNBC’s Carol Leonnig, acting U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes believes prosecutors have built a strong case alleging that Bolton mishandled classified information.
BREAKING: It’s being reported that Former NSA Bolton is likely to be INDICTED early next week!
They might file a formal complaint directly with the court instead of approaching a Grand Jury. Even MSDNC know’s that Bolton is likely GOING TO PRISON!
Lock them ALL up! pic.twitter.com/O2jnueAumi [4]
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 10, 2025 [5]
The case stems from FBI searches conducted on August 22 at Bolton’s Maryland home and office. Agents were seen removing multiple boxes of materials from both locations.
A publicly released inventory of items seized by the FBI lists three computers, two iPhones, and several boxes of documents taken from Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland residence.
Investigators also retrieved two USB drives, a hard drive, four boxes of “printed daily activities,” and folders labeled “Trump I – IV.”
Additionally, agents recovered a white binder marked “statements and reflections to allied strikes.”
According to Reuters, the Justice Department confirmed that Bolton is under investigation for potential violations of two provisions of the Espionage Act of 1917, which prohibit the unauthorized removal or possession of national defense information.
Investigators are also examining whether Bolton violated a separate statute prohibiting the improper retention of classified materials.
Sources familiar with the investigation told NBC that prosecutors suspect Bolton illegally retained classified government documents to use in his 2020 book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.
The book, which offered an insider account of his time in the Trump administration, was released after an extended legal battle with the U.S. government.
In 2020, the Trump Administration filed a civil lawsuit to block publication, arguing that Bolton failed to complete the required pre-publication review process with the National Security Council.
The process ensures that materials written by former government officials do not contain classified information.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ultimately allowed the book to be published but stated in his opinion that Bolton “likely published classified materials” and had “exposed his country to harm.”
The lawsuit was later dismissed by the Biden-Harris Administration in 2021.
The Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigation reportedly intensified last year.
In September, The New York Times reported that intelligence officials obtained data from a foreign spy service suggesting that Bolton may have shared emails containing classified information during his time in the Trump administration. The emails were allegedly sent through an unsecured server to several individuals connected to Bolton.
According to the same report, the investigation gained momentum during the Biden presidency, despite prior claims from some media commentators that probes into Bolton’s handling of classified materials originated from political motives.
Investigators now believe some of the classified documents taken by Bolton may have been accessed by a foreign government, though the nature and scope of the alleged breach have not been disclosed publicly.
Bolton has not commented publicly on the current status of the investigation. The Justice Department and Bolton’s legal team have declined to confirm when or how formal charges might be filed.
If prosecutors proceed with a criminal complaint next week, it would mark the first time a former national security advisor faces criminal prosecution under the Espionage Act.