Legal Proceedings - John Bolton pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of illegally collecting and transmitting national defense information [1][7] - The charges revolve around diaries allegedly containing national secrets shared with his wife and daughter [2] - Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison [11] Allegations and Rebuttals - The Justice Department accuses John Bolton of transmitting over 1,000 pages of highly classified information to his wife and daughter [8] - The information allegedly pertained to foreign leader intentions and US covert actions [1][9] - The government claims Iran hacked at least one of the email accounts used to transmit the information [10] - Bolton insists he is being targeted for criticizing President Trump and his lawyer claims the material was not classified [3][11] Key Individuals - John Bolton, former National Security Advisor, is the defendant in the case [1] - Fallon Gallagher, MSNBC Legal Affairs Reporter, provided updates from outside the courthouse [5][6] - Ken Dilanian, MSNBC Justice and Intelligence Correspondent, detailed the indictment [5][8]

Legal Proceedings - Former National Security Advisor John Bolton faces 18 counts related to transmission and retention of national defense information [3] - The charges involve storing diary-like entries with classified information and sharing over 1,000 pages with unauthorized family members [3] - Bolton denies wrongdoing, comparing the Trump administration to Stalin's secret police [4] - Bolton is expected to be processed, including fingerprinting and a picture, before an initial court appearance [6] - An arraignment with a plea is not expected during the initial court appearance [7] Parallels to Other Cases - The situation is described as potentially both retributive and meritorious [7] - Parallels are drawn to the Trump Mara Lago case, with Bolton facing charges of retaining and distributing national defense information [7] - Prosecutors highlight Bolton's opportunities to return information, starting with a 2021 settlement with the Department of Justice [8] Prior Conduct and Statements - Bolton's team reported a hack of his AOL account by an entity close to the Iranian Republic, but prosecutors allege incomplete disclosure about using the account for classified communication [8] - Prosecutors cite Bolton's past cable news interviews criticizing Hillary Clinton and Pete Hexath regarding classified information handling [9] - Interviews where Bolton criticized President Trump's handling of classified materials are notably missing from the prosecution's cited examples [9]

Legal & Political Implications - John Bolton, former national security advisor, indicted on 18 counts of mishandling national defense information [1] - The indictment stems from Bolton's alleged mishandling of classified information, including handwritten notes and diary-like entries emailed to family members [2] - Bolton's attorney claims he did not unlawfully share or store any information, asserting that keeping diaries is not a crime [3] - Bolton accuses President Trump of weaponizing the Justice Department and compares the situation to Joseph Stalin [5][6] - Bolton intends to fight the charges [6] Security Risks & Data Breaches - An individual believed to be associated with Iran allegedly hacked Bolton's personal email account and gained unauthorized access to classified information [3] - The FBI conducted searches of Bolton's home and office, seizing phones and computers [4] Political Feud - Bolton and Trump have a well-documented feud, with Trump criticizing Bolton's handling of classified information [1][4] - Trump considers Bolton a "bad guy" [1] - Bolton claims Trump is retaliating against him [5]

Joining us now, MSNBC justice and intelligence correspondent Ken Delaneian, who's outside of uh John Bolton's home, NBC News senior White House correspondent Garrett Hake, DC correspondent covering the Justice Department for the New York Times, Glenn Thrush, and MSNBC legal analyst and former US attorney in Michigan, Barbara Mcuade. Um, Ken, the FBI got there just before 7 this morning. Are they still there. They are indeed, Katie.We just saw a couple of agents or technicians with leave with their FBI windb ...