Bolton, who was indicted on Thursday, is the third of Trump’s prominent critics to face prosecution in recent weeks, as the US president dispenses with decades-long norms designed to insulate federal law enforcement from political pressures.
Bolton and his team were seen entering the US Marshals Service office to surrender. He did not speak with reporters as he arrived at the courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland to surrender. He faced an initial court appearance later in the day.
The indictment alleges that Bolton shared sensitive information with two of his relatives for possible use in a book he was writing, including notes on intelligence briefings and meetings with senior government officials and foreign leaders.
“I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose (Trump’s) abuse of power,” Bolton said in a statement on Thursday. Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information.
Trump, a Republican who campaigned for the presidency on a vow of retribution after facing a slew of legal woes once his first term in the White House ended in 2021, has actively pursued his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to bring charges against his perceived adversaries.
That included pushing Bondi’s Justice Department to bring charges against his perceived adversaries including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, even driving out a prosecutor he deemed to be moving too slowly in doing so.