Bolton Pleads Not Guilty in Justice Department Case Accusing Him of Sharing Government Secrets

GREENBELT, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 17: Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton leaves federal court after pleading not guilty to charges of mishandling classified material on October 17, 2025 in Greenbelt, Maryland. Bolton was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday. (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — John Bolton has pleaded not guilty in the Justice Department case accusing him of sharing classified information. Bolton was ordered released from custody after making his appearance Friday before a judge in the third Justice Department case brought in recent weeks against an adversary of President Donald Trump. Bolton has signaled he will argue he is being targeted because of his criticism of the president, describing the charges as part of a Trump “effort to intimidate his opponents.” The case, however, appears to have followed a more conventional path toward indictment than other recent cases against perceived Trump enemies.