Former Trump official John Bolton pleads not guilty to criminal charges
Former White House national security advisor John Bolton arrives in the District Court for the District of Maryland to surrender and make his first appearance on charges of mishandling classified information, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA, October 17, 2025.
Leah Millis | Reuters
President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of mishandling classified information, multiple news outlets reported.
Bolton, 76, made his first appearance in federal court in Maryland a day after he was indicted by a grand jury, becoming the latest Trump foe to face criminal charges.
Bolton is charged with 18 counts of possessing and concealing materials related to national defense.
he confronts up to 10 years imprisonment on each count if convicted, but federal sentencing guidelines would likely recommend a much lighter sentence.
26-page indictment It alleges that Bolton shared classified information with two relatives while he was Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019.
Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the former national security adviser did not illegally share or withhold any information.
“The facts underlying this case were investigated and resolved years ago,” Lowell said in a statement Thursday. he said.
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