RT WikiLeaks (@wikileaks)John Bolton called for Assange, Snowden and Manning to be executed under the Espionage Act, for communicating true information to the public.Now Bolton faces 18 counts under the Espionage Act for mishandling national defense information. https://t.co/pr0H7pkfUL ...

Legal & Political Landscape - John Bolton, former National Security Advisor, faces 18 felony charges related to handling classified information and has surrendered to authorities [1][4] - The indictment accuses Bolton of sending over 1,000 pages of diary material containing highly classified information to his wife and daughter via an unsecure email account, one of which was reportedly hacked by Iranian actors [4][5] - The prosecution's case may be complicated by the "beef" between President Trump and John Bolton, potentially impacting the likelihood of conviction [11] - The charges against Bolton fall under the Espionage Act, pertaining to unlawfully taking, removing, retaining, or transmitting national defense information [16][18] National Security Implications - The case highlights a concerning trend of senior executive branch officials potentially mishandling classified information after leaving government service [20][22] - The US intelligence community reportedly discovered the classified information in Bolton's AOL account after penetrating the system where Iran had these emails [30][31] Procedural & Investigative Aspects - Bolton's initial court appearance is expected to be a formality, involving reading of charges and ensuring he has an attorney [3][4] - The FBI interviewed Bolton multiple times since 2020 across three administrations [22] - The Justice Department had previously reviewed Bolton for mishandling classified information related to his book during the Trump administration, but the Biden administration did not pursue charges at the time [24] - The current charges may have been sparked by Bolton's report of a cyber intrusion, leading to a deeper investigation into what information the Iranians obtained [25]

Legal & Political Analysis - A grand jury is expected to hear evidence regarding John Bolton's alleged mishandling of classified documents [1][2] - The Justice Department convinced two federal judges to grant search warrants, leading to the FBI searching Bolton's home and office [3][4] - Potential charges against Bolton include violations of the Federal Espionage Act, specifically 18USC 793 and 18USC1924A, related to unlawful possession, transmission, or loss of national defense information and classified information [8][9] - Convicting Bolton requires proving he "willfully intentionally" mishandled classified information, not just a mistake [12] - Bolton could face multiple years in prison for each count if charged, and conspiracy charges could increase the potential punishment [14][15] Investigation Details - The US intelligence community detected a foreign government hacking Bolton's AOL account, raising suspicions of mishandling classified information [4][5] - Investigators were searching for evidence of who else might be involved in the unlawful retention or transmission of national defense or classified information [15] Parallels to Other Cases - One of the charges mentioned in the search warrant affidavit against Bolton is also a charge against President Trump in the Mara Lago documents case [9] - The Justice Department distinguishes the Bolton case from the Biden case based on evidence of willfulness and attempts to hide documents [13]

Political Actions & Policies - Obama administration prosecuted more journalists under the Espionage Act than all previous presidents combined [1] - The administration arrested, jailed, and allegedly tortured Chelsea Manning for revealing war crimes [1] - The Smith-Mundt Act was repealed, potentially allowing the CIA/FBI to directly influence American citizens through propaganda and infiltrate various organizations [1] - 3 million Hispanics were deported during Obama's presidency [1] - The number of wars the U S was involved in increased from 2 to 7, along with increased drone bombings [2] - Habeas Corpus was effectively repealed, granting the government the authority to detain individuals indefinitely without trial [2] Allegations of Influence - Obama is portrayed as a figure promoted by the establishment and media to create a false perception of representation [2] - Allegedly, Obama served the interests of Banks, Big Pharma, the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC), and corporate entities [2]