Bolton was a lawfare target because he wrote an unflattering book about Trump. That's how it works in our kleptocracy. Recall, Bolton didn't even have actual documents. He was prosecuted for keeping a personal diary.
From the WSJ EB:
The President has been determined to seek revenge against Mr. Bolton, who wrote his well-regarded memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” based on his 17 months running the National Security Council in Mr. Trump’s first term. Mr. Trump first tried and failed to block publication, then went to court to confiscate the royalties. He lost that fight too. But on Mr. Trump’s return to office, his Justice Department charged Mr. Bolton with a coercive 18-count indictment for keeping diary notes on a home computer that included “national defense information.”
Mr. Bolton has now decided to plead guilty to a single felony count for retaining classified information. He will pay a $2.5 million fine, which is best understood as an attempt to deny Mr. Bolton the earnings from the book.
Like most similar defendants, Mr. Bolton had little choice other than to negotiate a plea. A trial could cost as much as $3 million in legal fees and run the risk of greater punishment. He is 77 years old, and a guilty verdict could have meant a de facto life sentence. Mr. Trump’s prosecutors threatened more charges if Mr. Bolton didn’t submit to a plea. After a life devoted to public service or writing for think tanks, he isn’t a wealthy man.
Especially troubling and truly vindictive, therefore, is that Justice is still insisting that Mr. Bolton go to prison. The concession prosecutors have made is that they won’t ask for a sentence longer than five years. Mr. Bolton will instead ask the court for probation, which is far more suitable for the single offense, but a judge will decide.
Mr. Bolton isn’t pleading to transmitting classified information, and he didn’t bring documents home. He wrote diary notes based on his memory that informed his book. He submitted the book draft to the White House for vetting for classified material, and it was cleared for publication by Ellen Knight, the senior director at the time for pre-publication review.
Many officials have kept diaries or journals that they later used to inform their books, including Carter-era NSC adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. The law expressly anticipates that pre-publication review could discover classified information. But under this Bolton standard, anyone who submits a book or article draft that contains classified material could potentially be charged with a crime.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/john-bolton-plea-deal-classified-documents-donald-trump-0a24f831?mod=mhp
No shit. I addressed this several times.You know there is a significant legal difference between Trump and the others which you failed to mention. That might not absolve Trump from wrongdoing, but it does change the legal landscape to a great extent.
If true, this is far less egregious than I had thought. Definitely probation is the most appropriate punishment for an offense I don't believe I've ever seen anyone face such serious consequences. The fact that his book was vetted for classified information (normal practice for such books by people with access to classified information) and cleared for publication is certainly a mitigating factor. Patraeus' offenses were much worse than this and look at his punishment - convicted of a misdemeanor, probation and a $100,000 fine.Bolton was a lawfare target because he wrote an unflattering book about Trump. That's how it works in our kleptocracy. Recall, Bolton didn't even have actual documents. He was prosecuted for keeping a personal diary.
From the WSJ EB:
The President has been determined to seek revenge against Mr. Bolton, who wrote his well-regarded memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” based on his 17 months running the National Security Council in Mr. Trump’s first term. Mr. Trump first tried and failed to block publication, then went to court to confiscate the royalties. He lost that fight too. But on Mr. Trump’s return to office, his Justice Department charged Mr. Bolton with a coercive 18-count indictment for keeping diary notes on a home computer that included “national defense information.”
Mr. Bolton has now decided to plead guilty to a single felony count for retaining classified information. He will pay a $2.5 million fine, which is best understood as an attempt to deny Mr. Bolton the earnings from the book.
Like most similar defendants, Mr. Bolton had little choice other than to negotiate a plea. A trial could cost as much as $3 million in legal fees and run the risk of greater punishment. He is 77 years old, and a guilty verdict could have meant a de facto life sentence. Mr. Trump’s prosecutors threatened more charges if Mr. Bolton didn’t submit to a plea. After a life devoted to public service or writing for think tanks, he isn’t a wealthy man.
Especially troubling and truly vindictive, therefore, is that Justice is still insisting that Mr. Bolton go to prison. The concession prosecutors have made is that they won’t ask for a sentence longer than five years. Mr. Bolton will instead ask the court for probation, which is far more suitable for the single offense, but a judge will decide.
Mr. Bolton isn’t pleading to transmitting classified information, and he didn’t bring documents home. He wrote diary notes based on his memory that informed his book. He submitted the book draft to the White House for vetting for classified material, and it was cleared for publication by Ellen Knight, the senior director at the time for pre-publication review.
Many officials have kept diaries or journals that they later used to inform their books, including Carter-era NSC adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. The law expressly anticipates that pre-publication review could discover classified information. But under this Bolton standard, anyone who submits a book or article draft that contains classified material could potentially be charged with a crime.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/john-bolton-plea-deal-classified-documents-donald-trump-0a24f831?mod=mhp
If true, this is far less egregious than I had thought. Definitely probation is the most appropriate punishment for an offense I don't believe I've ever seen anyone face such serious consequences. The fact that his book was vetted for classified information (normal practice for such books by people with access to classified information) and cleared for publication is certainly a mitigating factor. Patraeus' offenses were much worse than this and look at his punishment - convicted of a misdemeanor, probation and a $100,000 fine.
Yeah, he screwed up, and should have known better. I wonder if the book was the whole reason behind him taking the job. That said, if I was COH, I'd call this a nothingburger.
Of course I didn’t. I explained in great detail the facts of the HRC, Biden, Pence and Trump situations. I’m sure I’m the only guy here with a Top Secret Clearance, was a Classified Information Security Manager, and has actually punished or been involved with punishing mishandling of classified information in various ways, ranging from degrees of negligence to degrees of deliberate. Should have paid attention to my detailed and factual explanations because I will not be doing it again.@aloha-hoosier did you forget Biden? Just doesn’t really come to mind eh? One track and all….
You talk about handling classified information as if it’s the mechanics of landing a man on the moon. It’s absolutely bizzare.
Does it make you feel smart? Important?
My father was an Intel officer working for Ollie North and I’ve never heard him mentally fellate himself to the idea and procedure of keeping secrets the way you have.
The phrase ‘I’d like to buy him for what he!s worth & sell him for what he thinks he’s worth’ was invented for Aloha…
Did that make you feel better about yourself?Of course I didn’t. I explained in great detail the facts of the HRC, Biden, Pence and Trump situations. I’m sure I’m the only guy here with a Top Secret Clearance, was a Classified Information Security Manager, and has actually punished or been involved with punishing mishandling of classified information in various ways, ranging from degrees of negligence to degrees of deliberate. Should have paid attention to my detailed and factual explanations because I will not be doing it again.@aloha-hoosier did you forget Biden? Just doesn’t really come to mind eh? One track and all….
You talk about handling classified information as if it’s the mechanics of landing a man on the moon. It’s absolutely bizzare.
Does it make you feel smart? Important?
My father was an Intel officer working for Ollie North and I’ve never heard him mentally fellate himself to the idea and procedure of keeping secrets the way you have.
The phrase ‘I’d like to buy him for what he!s worth & sell him for what he thinks he’s worth’ was invented for Aloha…
Dems are disgusting.
https://www.fox8live.com/2026/07/02/grand-jury-indicts-louisiana-attorney-general-liz-murrill/
Dems are disgusting.
https://www.fox8live.com/2026/07/02/grand-jury-indicts-louisiana-attorney-general-liz-murrill/
That's rich as Hiram Lodge coming from you.
Jack Smith's first full interview. Impressive guy, but no real news or juicy stuff. Comes off as a straight laced, just the facts Ma'am type, the one you'd want your daughter to date. I doubt he'd be much fun over beers and brats though.
https://www.ms.now/news/jack-smith-doj-trump-defends-investigations
Another lawfare failure.
Joe DiGenova resigns from DOJ position investigating Trump foes
DiGenova is as devoted to Trump/MAGA as they come and he resigned from as head of the investigation into Trump's Grand Conspiracy and says, "If you want indictments where there’s no evidence, you have an ethical problem."
Want to know what Trump's Grand Conspiracy is, here it is. It's incredibly convoluted and it's amazing how many idiots believe there's something to it.
Trump’s Grand Conspiracy Delusion | Lawfare
Another lawfare failure.
Joe DiGenova resigns from DOJ position investigating Trump foes
DiGenova is as devoted to Trump/MAGA as they come and he resigned from as head of the investigation into Trump's Grand Conspiracy and says, "If you want indictments where there’s no evidence, you have an ethical problem."
Want to know what Trump's Grand Conspiracy is, here it is. It's incredibly convoluted and it's amazing how many idiots believe there's something to it.
People with integrity don't last long in Trump 2.0.
Another lawfare failure.
Joe DiGenova resigns from DOJ position investigating Trump foes
DiGenova is as devoted to Trump/MAGA as they come and he resigned from as head of the investigation into Trump's Grand Conspiracy and says, "If you want indictments where there’s no evidence, you have an ethical problem."
Want to know what Trump's Grand Conspiracy is, here it is. It's incredibly convoluted and it's amazing how many idiots believe there's something to it.
It's been a recurring theme in this second Trump administration: Trump gives an order to Justice to charge someone he hates and, poof, a grand jury is convened, irrespective of whether there's a case. We've seen this with Comey, Letitia James (a grand jury has, on multiple occasions, rejected DOJ's case(s) against her), the ex-Olympian with his hand in Trump's scummy reflecting pool, the six lawmakers including Mark Kelly who told service members to refuse illegal orders, and probably a couple more I'm not immediately recalling.
It's an abuse of power, a bastardization of the justice system, a waste of resources, and a fucking travesty.
Incompetent Aileen Cannon will do everything she can to keep the "Grand Conspiracy" case alive, though, because she's got her sights set on the Supreme Court, and she has to keep Genghis Don happy.
Genghis Don
I have to give you credit for this one. That's pretty good. But How do you feel using slurs like this, when you hate when he does it? I think this means he wins.
Now, can you work Attila in there, just for fun?
Morally Flexible. Kinda.