John Bolton has won me over as someone intelligent who cares about America. He was Assistant Secretary for International Organizations while I was still working at State, and I thought he was a right-wing nut. However, he turned out to be one of the most reasonable people in Trump’s first-term administration as National Security Advisor.
With all of his experience in government, I don’t think he would treat classified documents cavalierly, as Trump did in his first term as President. The Justice Department is attacking Bolton simply as retribution for Bolton’s telling the truth about his experience as National Security Advisor.
The national media is reporting that the Department of Justice has just indicted Bolton. Here is the press release from the Justice Department’s Maryland US Attorney’s office.
The talking heads are saying the case against Bolton is stronger than those against Comey and James. That may be, but he still may be innocent, if that makes any difference in Trump-world. It does not sound like the FBI found classified documents in Bolton’s house or office. The found mainly emails or messages referring to things that may have been classified. But a summary of a classified document may not be classified. If you remove names or other details, you may remove the reason for classification. That is probably a judgment call, and DOJ will no doubt argue that the summaries are classified. It is possible a judge may disagree. For me, the crime is DOJ’s persecution of a good man.
I also think former FBI Director James Comey is a decent, honest man who should not be attacked by Trump in his retribution campaign.
I am less supportive of Leticia James, whom Trump is attacking for her role in prosecuting him in New York, but it is just prosecution (persecution) for Trump’s revenge.