Former White House national security adviser John Bolton arrives at his house in Bethesda, Maryland, following its search by the FBI on August 22, 2025. Tasos Katopodis/Reuters

Senior Justice Department leaders are advocating for a charge against President Donald Trump’s former adviser-turned-critic John Bolton this week, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.

Currently, the prosecutors think they could bring a stronger case by the end of the year against Bolton over the mishandling of national security documents, rather than pushing for a charge at this time.

It comes as Trump has called for the department to prosecute his political opponents, and as Justice Department prosecutors are looking at charging another adversary, former FBI Director Jim Comey .

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