This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
John Bolton, formerly an official in President Donald Trump's first term who after he was removed from his post unleashed vicious criticism of the president, has pleaded not guilty to a long list of serious charges.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of mishandling classified materials.
He was accused of transmitting and retaining national defense information, "over allegations he sent 'diary-like entries' to two relatives about his day-to-day as Trump's adviser and kept classified records at his home in a Maryland suburb after leaving the position," said the Hill.
"Not guilty, your honor," Bolton said during a court appearance in Greenbelt, Md., on Friday.
The report noted, "Bolton is the third of President Trump's proclaimed foes to face federal charges from his Justice Department."
He is facing 18 counts.
He agreed to surrender his passport to counsel and was ordered released after processing. The next hearing in the case is set for Nov. 21.
A federal grand jury in Maryland indicted Bolton, who served during Trump's first term from April 2018 to September 2019.
The Daily Caller News Foundation revealed documents with "confidential" and "secret" markings "were found inside Bolton's Washington, D.C. office during an Aug. 22 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid, including some with references to weapons of mass destruction, according to a September court filing. Federal agents searched Bolton's Maryland home that same day but did not find classified materials at the location."
"These materials, many of which are documents that had been previously approved as part of a pre-publication review for Amb. Bolton's book, were reviewed and closed years ago," Bolton's attorney Abbe Lowell previously has said.
The DOJ resumed investigating him for possibly infringing the law over Bolton's book, which he used to level scathing criticism at Trump.
Previously indicted were ex-FBI chief James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress, and Democrat New York Attorney James over alleged mortgage fraud.
