Staff Reports
Thursday’s announcement that former national security adviser John Bolton was indicted stunned Washington and confirmed what many conservatives have feared: the Department of Justice has become a political battering ram. A federal grand jury in Maryland returned an indictment on October 16, 2025, charging Bolton with 18 counts related to the mishandling and transmission of national defense information.
According to the indictment, prosecutors allege eight counts of unlawful transmission of national defense information and ten counts of unlawful retention, accusing Bolton of using personal email and messaging apps to share highly sensitive material. The DOJ’s statement says the documents included intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and information that could expose sources and methods — accusations that, if true, are serious and demand answers.
FBI search warrants executed earlier this year reportedly recovered devices and documents marked “classified,” and investigators pointed to an earlier hack of Bolton’s AOL account as part of their probe. Those operational details heighten legitimate national security concerns while also fueling the inevitable political questions about timing and selective enforcement.
Bolton has forcefully denied any criminal intent, framing the case as retaliation for his vocal criticism of President Trump and pointing to his prior public accounts and book that have long been in the public domain. Whether you admire Bolton or despise his foreign-policy views, no American should accept a system where politics appears to dictate who gets prosecuted and who does not.
Conservatives have long warned that the DOJ under the current administration would be tempted to use criminal referrals and investigations as political tools, and this indictment reinforces those fears. We should demand a transparent accounting of who authorized this investigation, why it was pursued now, and whether ordinary Americans would face the same treatment for similar actions.
At the same time, national security is not a partisan slogan. If classified material was mishandled in a way that endangered lives or operations, it must be addressed — but accountability must be even-handed. The American people deserve a justice system that protects secrets and protects citizens without becoming a cudgel for settling political scores.
This moment is a crossroads: patriots who care about the rule of law must push for both rigorous protection of classified information and an end to weaponized prosecutions. Demand full transparency from the DOJ, insist on public disciplinary standards that apply to everyone, and refuse to allow political retribution to replace consistent, principled law enforcement. The country’s security and the integrity of our institutions depend on it.
