Former NSA John Bolton Indicted on 18 Federal Counts
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton was indicted on 18 federal counts, following the FBI raid on his home on August 22, 2025.
Bolton had been one of Trump’s most prominent Republican critics since leaving the White House in September 2019. His prosecution fits the systematic pattern of DOJ targeting of Trump adversaries:
The vindictive prosecution pattern:
| Target | Relationship to Trump | DOJ Action |
|---|---|---|
| James Comey | Fired FBI Director, testified against Trump | Indicted Sept 25, 2025 (dismissed Nov 24) |
| Letitia James | NY AG who prosecuted Trump civilly | Indicted Oct 9, 2025 (dismissed Nov 24) |
| John Bolton | Former NSA, vocal Trump critic | Raided Aug 22, indicted Oct 16 on 18 counts |
| Jerome Powell | Fed Chair, refused rate cut demands | Criminal investigation Nov 2025, subpoenas Jan 2026 |
| Don Lemon | CNN journalist covering Minneapolis | Arrested Jan 30, 2026 |
In contrast, Border Czar Tom Homan’s FBI sting case (recorded accepting $50K in cash) was closed with “no credible evidence.”
Sources & Citations
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Tier 1 court records & gov docs ·
Tier 2 established outlets ·
Tier 3 regional & specialty press ·
Tier 4 opinion or single-source.
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Cite this entry
The Cascade Ledger. “Former NSA John Bolton Indicted on 18 Federal Counts.” The Capture Cascade Timeline, October 16, 2025. https://capturecascade.org/event/2025-10-16--bolton-indicted-18-counts/