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Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly shown his desire to see opponents investigated, exerting pressure on the DOJ to charge ex FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We cannot postpone further, it's killing our reputation and trustworthiness," the leader stated recently in a social media post.

"They impeached twice, and charged me (5 times!)" he said, mentioning the four criminal cases he encountered after departing the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Both have subsequently been charged, in situations that numerous specialists have said appear to be driven by politics and challenging to win in court.

But the latest charges against a Trump critic, ex national security adviser John Bolton, differ significantly, legal specialists and former prosecutors say.

"I would say, contrasting Bolton's charges to Comey's is like comparing apples to oranges," stated Mark Lesko, a ex federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York.

This Details of the Case

Bolton has been formally charged on federal charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified information. After departing the White House in 2019, he has emerged as a outspoken Trump critic, going so far as to describe him "remarkably ignorant" and unfit for the presidency in his memoir.

Experts contend that while there may be political motivations to go after Bolton, the procedures used to obtain an charge and the proof compiled against him suggest a possibly more substantial case than the Justice Department brought against Comey.

"This misconduct that's being alleged is simultaneously more serious and appears to have taken place over a considerable duration," commented Carissa Byrne Hessick, a academic at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his time as Trump's security advisor, and after his 2019 White House departure, authorities alleged that Bolton placed the nation at risk by improperly keeping and sending classified information to relatives using unprotected methods, including AOL. Several of the documents were marked highly classified.

The charge states that at one point a unauthorized user accessed to Bolton's system where files were kept and transmitted an apparent threat to cause "the largest controversy since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Friday to eighteen distinct charges of mishandling classified information.

Retribution or a Strong Case?

The timing of his charge - coming on the tails of allegations against Comey - has renewed questions about external influence on the justice system.

Trump previously implied Bolton should be in jail, and described him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his part, wrote a publication about his time in the Trump government that was highly critical of the leader.

"There's no question that the schedule of this charge, when combined with others, has raised questions about the validity of these allegations, and why these charges are being filed at this time," said Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute.

Nevertheless, he continued, "should the Justice Department is capable to demonstrate the allegations alleged and show the information is correctly classified, his conduct may certainly have broken the law".

Prosecuting such a senior figure for improperly handling sensitive materials is "rare" but not without precedent, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Cases that concern classified information present challenges to prosecute, but they may and are brought against equally junior and high-level officials, from time to time," she said.

Similarities to Investigations into Former President and President

Trump likewise encountered allegations of improperly storing sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and obstructing their return, but that case was eventually dismissed by a federal judge and negated by his re-election as leader.

A special counsel additionally found that ex-President Joe Biden wrongfully stored sensitive materials from his time as second-in-command, but failed to criminally charge him.

Bolton's case shares characteristics to Biden's classified documents issues, said Mr Lesko, who previously held a top security role at the DOJ.

Rigorous procedures regulate the management of sensitive materials. To win a conviction, the prosecution must prove that Bolton was aware the material he was transmitting was restricted, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone not entitled to receive it.

"Because of the classified nature of the information at question in this case, we lack a great deal of details about why the government believes elements like the diary entries and the additional information he communicated by electronic message, and why there were classified," explained Mr Jaffer.

A More Traditional Prosecution

The procedure by which the Justice Department brought this legal action will be closely examined, following Trump publicly posted his wish to see his political opponents charged and several of those indictments materialized.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's case, authorities seem to have followed standard procedure.

"The Bolton case and eventually the indictment appeared to have followed the standard process including the regulations and standards within the DOJ," he stated.

In contrast to Comey's brief, concise charge, Bolton's was a increasingly "traditional" document that "explicitly sets forth the details involving the facts and situation here," Mr Lesko commented.

"It appears fairly aligned with a series of cases... where public servants improperly handled and transmitted classified material."