The U.S. Justice Department is expected to seek a grand jury indictment of former National Security Adviser John Bolton for potential mishandling of classified information, following FBI searches of his properties and ongoing investigations, amid recent legal actions against other critics of President Trump.
The investigation into former National Security Adviser John Bolton, focusing on mishandling classified information and emails possibly obtained from a foreign spy service, gained momentum under the Biden administration, with recent searches of his Maryland home and Washington office.
The article argues that the rule of law in the US is deteriorating, exemplified by the FBI's recent search at John Bolton's home, suggesting a shift towards a two-tiered justice system under Trump.
Residents of Bethesda, Maryland, witnessed an FBI search of John Bolton's home, highlighting concerns over political retribution and the militarization of politics amid ongoing investigations into Bolton's disclosures in his 2020 book.
A former Mar-a-Lago worker, identified as "Trump Employee 5" in an indictment, has come forward to describe moving boxes of materials onto Donald Trump's plane at the West Palm Beach airport, potentially related to the mishandling of classified documents. The worker, Brian Butler, stated in a CNN interview that he was unaware of the contents of the boxes and is willing to testify during a trial. The indictment alleges that Trump, along with two co-defendants, engaged in a scheme to delete security video at Mar-a-Lago and obstruct justice. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty, and the trial is expected to be delayed.
The FBI is conducting a search for Gregory Yetman, who was wanted for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots. Yetman, a former military police sergeant in the New Jersey National Guard, was seen in videos picking up a canister of pepper spray and spraying it towards Capitol police and protesters. Despite being identified and labeled as suspect #278 AFO, he had not been arrested or charged until now. The FBI is urging anyone with information on Yetman's whereabouts to come forward. Many individuals identified from photos and videos of the riots remain on the wanted list, and federal prosecutors have charged over 1,000 people in connection with the Capitol raid.
The possibility of an indictment for former President Donald Trump is uncharted territory, but it is unlikely to hurt his base of support. An indictment could energize his base, but it would reinforce some of the reasons other Republicans are reluctant to back him. Trump's weakness increases the downside risks for his candidacy, even if it plays out exactly the way the FBI raid did. The longer term is murky, with the possibility of a trial and even the possibility of conviction and imprisonment.