Donald Trump’s ex-adviser John Bolton has accused the president of attempting to “intimidate his opponents” after being criminally indicted on federal charges.

Mr Bolton has been charged with illegally storing and transmitting classified information – alleged crimes which could see him face decades behind bars.

He has been one of Mr Trump‘s most vocal critics since being sacked from his first administration in 2019, and described him as being unfit for office ahead of last year’s election.

He said the charges filed on Thursday were an effort by the president to “to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct”.

“I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power,” he added.

Why has Bolton been charged?

The FBI searched his Maryland home and Washington office in August for records he may have kept from his time in government, and previously unsealed court filings said agents found multiple documents labelled as “classified”, “confidential”, and “secret”.

Some appeared to concern weapons of mass destruction and national “strategic communication”, they said.

Image:
FBI members carrying boxes outside Bolton’s home in August. Pic: Reuters

Thursday’s indictment alleges Bolton retained multiple files – and used personal email and messaging accounts to transmit documents classified as top secret, the US justice department said.

He has been charged with eight counts of transmission of national defence information (NDI), as well as 10 counts of unlawful retention of NDI, the department said.

Each charge comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Mr Bolton and his lawyer have denied any wrongdoing.

For four decades, I have devoted my life to America’s foreign policy and national security,” he said.

“I would never compromise those goals.”

Asked by reporters at the White House about Mr Bolton facing charges, Mr Trump said: “He’s a bad guy.”

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It marks the third time in recent weeks the US justice department has secured criminal charges against one of the president’s critics.

Ex-FBI director James Comey – who was fired by Mr Trump in 2017 – is facing charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction of Congress, which he denies.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously brought a civil fraud case against Trump and his family real estate company, is facing charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. She has denied wrongdoing.

Bolton served as US ambassador to the UN, as well as White House national security adviser, before being sacked by Mr Trump in 2019.