Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, according to multiple reports.
Bloomberg reported Thursday that the Department of Justice has filed charges against Bolton, who served as one of President Donald Trump’s top aides before emerging as a frequent commentator and critic of the former president on CNN.
The specific nature of the charges remains unclear, as details of the indictment have not yet been publicly released.
The US Justice Department has charged John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who became one of his fiercest critics https://t.co/RCwFpUY8GF
— Bloomberg (@business) October 16, 2025
The outlet cited a person familiar with the matter, who said the charges have not yet been made public.
According to the same source, the indictment was filed in federal court in Maryland.
CNN also confirmed the indictment, citing sources familiar with the case, and reported that Bolton is expected to surrender to authorities at the federal courthouse as soon as Friday.
Bolton has been under investigation for allegedly sharing “highly classified” information with his wife and daughter via email, CNN reported. Part of the Justice Department’s inquiry reportedly focused on notes Bolton made to himself using an AOL account, which allegedly contained summaries of his activities while serving in the Trump administration and sometimes resembled diary entries.
Bolton, who served as national security adviser from 2018 to 2019, had not publicly commented on the reported charges as of this report. As of late Thursday afternoon, the Justice Department also had not issued a statement regarding the indictment.