Chickens of administrations past are coming home to roost, as former National Security Advisor John Bolton was indicted by the Department of Justice on 18 counts of mishandling classified information.
The outspoken critic of President Trump now finds himself facing a maximum of 180 years in prison (which he won't get, because … well, come on. We know he won't.)
The Hill had additional details on the indictment:
Federal prosecutors say that Bolton sent more than a thousand pages of 'diary-like entries' to two relatives and retained documents, writings, and notes related to national defense.
The 26-page indictment was handed up by a grand jury Thursday afternoon at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, MD.
Bolton is accused of also sharing top secret information with "two relatives" (allegedly his wife and daughter) who never held any level of security clearance.
'At no point did Bolton have authorization to store or transmit the classified information that he sent to Individuals 1 and 2 via his personal electronic devices and accounts,' the charging papers read. 'Nor did, at any time, individuals 1 and 2 have authorization to know or store the classified information that Bolton gave to them.'
Well done, Mr. Walrus.
You'll remember how outspoken Bolton was about how egregious it was when Trump was accused ot possessing classified documents:
Despite his stance when Trump was in the crosshairs, Bolton now sees himself as "the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department." Here was his statement after the charges were announced, including an explanation that the classified info was for his book:
For four decades, I have devoted my life to America's foreign policy and national security. I would never compromise those goals. I tried to do that during my tenure in the first Trump Administration but resigned when it became impossible to do so.
Donald Trump's retribution against me began then, continued when he tried unsuccessfully to block the publication of my book, 'The Room Where It Happened', before the 2020 election, and became one of his rallying cries in his reelection campaign. Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts.
My book was reviewed and approved by the appropriate, experienced career clearance officials. 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. 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." 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. Dissent and disagreement are foundational to America's constitutional system, and vitally important to our freedom. I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power.
President Trump, meanwhile, had the expected hilarious response to the news of Bolton's indictment:
Keep that popcorn handy!
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