John Bolton arrives in court to face charges for mishandling classified documents

Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton arrived in federal court to surrender to authorities on charges of misuse of classified information.

The 18 charges stem from allegations that he shared or withheld sensitive material, some of which was described as top secret.

Bolton served during Trump’s first administration but left the White House in a contentious manner, becoming one of the president’s loudest public critics.

The indictment singles out Bolton, 76, as the third of the US president’s political opponents to face charges in recent weeks. Bolton said he would defend his “lawful conduct.”

Prosecutors accused Bolton of using personal messaging apps and email to illegally transmit sensitive information.

“These documents revealed intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign policy relationships,” prosecutors wrote.

Responding to the accusations, Bolton said he would defend his “lawful conduct.”

He added that he “has become the latest target of arming the Department of Justice to indict the very people it prosecutes.” [Trump] “He sees himself as an enemy or distorts the facts with previously denied accusations.”