Trump's former national security adviser Bolton pleads not guilty

Former security adviser to US President Donald Trump, John Bolton, who was charged with passing on classified information, pleaded not guilty on Friday. In a court in Greenbelt, Maryland, the 76-year-old rejected the 18 charges against him, as CNN reported. Bolton served as national security adviser during Trump’s first term and later became a critic of the right-wing populist.

CNN reported that Bolton was released on conditions. The next hearing was therefore scheduled for November 21st.

Bolton was indicted on Thursday on charges of transmitting and retaining classified information. The indictment said he shared top-secret documents via email with two “unauthorized individuals.” According to the US Department of Justice, the documents “contained information about future attacks, foreign adversaries and foreign policy relations.” Each of the charges is punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Bolton rejected the allegations on Thursday. The Trump critic told US media that he had become “the latest target of the Justice Department’s instrumentalization.” The allegations against him had previously been rejected or distorted the facts.

Since his return to the White House, Trump has used sometimes brutal methods against critics and political opponents. On Thursday last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James, a prominent opponent of Trump, was charged with bank fraud in the US state of Virginia. Almost three weeks ago, Trump opponent and former FBI chief James Comey was charged there with alleged “serious crimes.”