Following the indictment of former National Security Adviser John Bolton on 18 counts related to his handling of classified materials, Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett broke down the key areas of the federal investigation, stating that private notes allegedly containing classified information found on Bolton’s AOL account are “truly problematic.”
Speaking Thursday on “The Will Cain Show,” Jarrett outlined the three main areas the FBI appears to be investigating: physical documents with classified markings, private notes on his AOL account, and material published in his book that was allegedly not pre-approved by the intelligence community.
Jarrett emphasized that the AOL account issue poses a significant problem for Bolton because, according to an intelligence assessment contained in the warrant affidavit, the account was reportedly “hacked by a foreign adversary.”
RELATED: Turley Calls Bolton Indictment “Damning,” Cites “Casual Treatment” Of Classified Material
“If that’s true, that only supports the case against him because that’s precisely what the Espionage Act was designed to protect,” Jarrett added, referencing the law that prohibits the unauthorized possession of classified materials in prohibited places.
The former National Security Adviser’s legal troubles stem from his handling of information, particularly surrounding his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened. The book was released despite the government alleging that it was not pre-approved and contained classified information.
Jarrett pointed out that the FBI’s raid of Bolton’s home and office in August, on orders from FBI Director Kash Patel, was an “obvious sign” that an indictment was likely, as they had already established probable cause.
In breaking down the legal standards, Jarrett stressed that the age of the documents is “irrelevant” if they remain classified, asserting that it is “criminal to have them in your possession.” He also noted that under the Espionage Act, a crime is committed whether the mishandling of documents was “intentional or negligent.”
READ: FBI Seized Classified Docs At John Bolton’s Office, Court Records Show
“You would think that after the notorious Hillary Clinton case, the guilty plea by General David Petraeus… that others like Bolton who were in government wouldn’t do it,” Jarrett remarked.
Jarrett further speculated on motivation, suggesting Bolton may have been “trying to leverage his positions in government by profiting financially from books, and keeping classified documents may have been his motivation.” He drew a parallel to the case of Joe Biden, who “admitted it was for the purpose of writing a book” when unlawfully storing classified documents.
Bolton Pleads Not Guilty
In a development on Friday, Bolton pleaded not guilty in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, after surrendering to authorities.
Bolton turned himself in on Friday morning at the Maryland courthouse, where he later entered his plea before a federal judge on charges of mishandling classified documentation.
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