The Justice Department is reportedly preparing to bring criminal charges against former National Security Advisor John Bolton as soon as next week, according to a report from NBC News on Friday.
Prosecutors in Maryland are said to be considering whether to present the case to a grand jury or expedite the process by filing a direct complaint in court. If they choose the latter option, formal charges could be announced within days, NBC reported.
Bolton, 76, served as national security advisor under President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019 and has since become an outspoken critic of the former president. A longtime proponent of U.S. military intervention abroad, Bolton has frequently denounced Trump’s foreign policy decisions and publicly supported the Justice Department’s previous indictments of Trump in 2020.MSNBC correspondent Carol Leonnig reported that acting U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes believes there is substantial evidence that former National Security Advisor John Bolton mishandled classified information.