Former US national security adviser John Bolton

Former US national security adviser John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury, becoming the third prominent critic of President Donald Trump to face criminal charges recently.

The indictment occurred on Thursday in federal court in Maryland, where Bolton lives. He served as national security adviser for 17 months during Trump`s first term before resigning.

Bolton later faced scrutiny over a book he wrote about his time in government. He has since become a vocal critic of his former boss, condemning Trump`s foreign policy as damaging to US diplomatic relations.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that he mishandled classified materials after leaving the Trump administration. He faces 18 counts, eight for transmitting national defense information and ten for retaining such information.

When asked about the indictment during a public event, Trump said he was unaware of the charges but called Bolton "a bad person."

In addition to Bolton, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James have also faced charges in recent weeks.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, "There is one tier of justice for all Americans. Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law."

According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the charges followed an investigation revealing that Bolton allegedly shared classified information through personal accounts and kept those documents at his home, violating federal law.

Bolton`s attorney, Abbe Lowell, argued that Bolton did not break any laws. He claimed that the facts of the case had been resolved years ago, and that the charges are based on Bolton`s personal diaries, which are unclassified and shared only with family.

The indictment claims Bolton "abused his position" by sharing over a thousand pages of information about his activities as national security adviser with two unauthorized individuals who are relatives and lack security clearances.

Bolton, 76, is accused of unlawfully keeping national defense documents classified as high as TOP SECRET at his home in Montgomery County, Maryland.

If convicted, Bolton faces up to 10 years in prison for each count; however, actual sentences are usually less severe.

The FBI conducted searches of Bolton`s home and office in August. Search warrant applications cited his book`s pre-publication review and a hack of his AOL account by a foreign entity as reasons for these searches.

The indictment states that Bolton informed the US government of the hack in July 2021 but did not disclose that the account contained classified national defense information.

The book involved in the inquiry, "The Room Where It Happened," details Bolton`s experiences as Trump`s national security adviser and became controversial during Trump`s first impeachment.

Bolton alleged that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine to pressure it into investigating Joe Biden and his son - a claim Trump denied.

Bolton`s book was released on June 23, 2020. In it, Bolton described Trump as an ignorant person, unfamiliar with the basics of US foreign policy dynamics.

As soon as Trump resumed power in January this year, he revoked the security clearances of more than four dozen former intelligence officials, including Bolton, on his first day back in office.

Bolton is a prominent member of the Republican Party. He has strong conservative political views and has been described as an ideologue by some right-wing factions. He is a former senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and a Fox News Channel commentator.