John Bolton Surrenders to Face Federal Charges Over Classified Material

By: Greg Norman , Jake Gibson , David Spunt , Brooke Singman | Fox News

Bolton had no comment Friday when approached by Fox News.

Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton surrendered to federal authorities Friday after being indicted on 18 counts related to the improper handling of classified materials.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan explained the charges to Bolton and asked if he understood them and the potential penalties of up to ten years per count and a maximum fine of $250,000 per count. 

“I do your honor,” Bolton said during his arraignment at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Md. 

He was indicted on eight counts of transmission of national defense information and ten counts of retention of national defense information.

“From on or about April 9, 2018, through at least on or about August 22, 2025, BOLTON abused his position as National Security Advisor by sharing more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities as the National Security Advisor — including information relating to the national defense which was classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level — with two unauthorized individuals, namely Individuals 1 and 2,” the indictment reads. “BOLTON also unlawfully retained documents, writings, and notes relating to the national defense, including information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level, in his home in Montgomery County, Maryland.”

The documents Bolton allegedly transmitted were sent to two individuals unauthorized to view classified documents, the indictment said.

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