Former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded not guilty Friday in a Greenbelt, Maryland, court to 18 counts of possessing and transmitting information affecting the security of the United States in violation of the Espionage Act.
Bolton earlier called the case the latest effort by the president to target his political enemies and his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, portrayed the matter as an attempt to punish his client for taking notes for a 2020 behind-the-scenes memoir The Room Where It Happened, which was critical of Trump and angered the administration.
The indictment comes on the heels of the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James as President Donald Trump continues what critics call a campaign of retribution against his perceived political foes.
Unlike at Comey’s arraignment last week, Bolton’s attorney Abbe Lowell on Friday did not offer much in the way of any preview of his defense strategy for the charges Bolton is facing.
Judge Sullivan set a Nov. 14 deadline for pretrial motions to be filed in the case, and also set a scheduling conference for Nov. 21.
Bolton appeared at ease throughout the hearing, and responded to the judge’s standard questions asking him if he understood the nature of the charges against him and the potential penalties he could face if he is convicted.
