John Bolton leaves the Maryland courthouse after pleading not guilty to charges of mishandling classified material on October 17, 2025 in Greenbelt, Maryland. ALEX KENT / AFP
John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security advisor before becoming an outspoken critic of the president, pleaded not guilty on Friday, October 17, to charges of mishandling classified information, US media reported.
The 76-year-old veteran diplomat entered the not guilty plea to 18 counts of transmitting and retaining top-secret national defense information at a court hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland, CNN reported. The network said Bolton was released on his own recognizance and the next hearing date was set for November 21.
Bolton was indicted on Thursday – the third Trump foe to be hit with criminal charges in recent weeks. The indictment accuses Bolton of sharing classified documents by email with two "unauthorized individuals" who are not identified but are believed to be his wife and daughter.
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