Payam Javan: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton appeared at a federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Friday to face 18 criminal counts under the Espionage Act. The charges allege that Bolton unlawfully stored and shared classified national defense information, including diary-style notes about U.S. foreign policy and intelligence operations. Bolton, a prominent hawk during the Trump administration, declined to speak to reporters as he surrendered to federal authorities.

According to the Justice Department, Bolton allegedly shared over 1,000 pages of sensitive material with two relatives between 2018 and August of this year. Some of the information, prosecutors claim, contained top-secret details from intelligence briefings and high-level meetings. The indictment also cites a 2021 Iranian-linked cyberattack on Bolton’s email account, suggesting foreign operatives may have accessed classified data. However, Bolton’s team insists he never knowingly transmitted government secrets through his personal accounts.

Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, strongly denied any wrongdoing, emphasizing that the entries in question were part of Bolton’s personal diaries spanning decades of public service. Lowell argued that the FBI had been aware of these materials since 2021 and that “Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information.” He further noted that similar behavior by other officials has gone unpunished, suggesting an unequal application of justice that has become a hallmark of politically motivated prosecutions in Washington.

Republican commentators have pointed out that while Bolton has long been a critic of former President Trump, the timing and scope of this prosecution raise concerns about selective enforcement and the politicization of the Justice Department. As Trump remarked when asked about the indictment, “He’s a bad guy.” Whether the case represents legitimate national security concerns or another politically driven spectacle remains to be seen.