John Bolton, a former contributor to The Hill, may face prison if investigators uncover evidence and prosecutors decide to bring charges over his alleged classified disclosures. Bolton’s book, “The Room Where It Happened,” reportedly receiving a $2 million advance, was not just dishing gossip but sharing information about Oval Office conversations and national security that should have stayed secret either by law or under executive privilege. A federal judge warned that Bolton had “likely jeopardized national security by disclosing classified information in violation of his nondisclosure agreement obligations.” The judge allowed the book to hit shelves because “the horse is already out of the barn,” given the publication of excerpts and the shipment of 200,000 copies of the book.
Bolton’s disclosures were reckless speculation, with no covert plan exposed, no law broken by President Trump, and no evidence of U.S. misconduct was ever substantiated. Another case pertained to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkey’s Halkbank. In 2019, the U.S. Justice Department charged Halkbank with helping Iran evade American sanctions by funneling oil and gas revenues through front companies and falsifying records. Bolton recounted a conversation in his book where Turkey’s strongman pressed Trump to back off, which subsequently went all the way to the Supreme Court.
Under federal law, removing or retaining classified drafts or notes of such a meeting can be punishable by prison time. Moreover, in the end, Bolton’s claims amounted to nothing but bluster. There was no Justice Department retreat on Halkbank, no evidence whatsoever that the prosecution was derailed, and no Trump misconduct.
On North Korea, Bolton revealed the inside playbook of U.S. negotiations with Kim Jong-un and consultations with South Korea. Seoul publicly blasted him for breaking trust. Allied intelligence, if documented in notes taken outside secure channels, could implicate either of two sections of the U.S. code covering unauthorized disclosure of communications intelligence.
Bolton’s book also exposed the advice and concerns of Britain, France, and other NATO partners during closed-door consultations. Foreign-government information is automatically classified under U.S. law. Publishing it didn’t just humiliate our allies; it shredded trust. Not only that, but his sensationalized speculation about Trump breaching the NATO treaty proved to be just that.
In conclusion, Bolton’s alleged classified disclosures and his involvement in the NATO scandal raise questions about the Constitution and the separation of powers. If evidence is found and indictments made, Bolton may face prison for shredding the Constitution, defying executive privilege, and trampling safeguards meant to protect America’s security.
