George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley discussed the ongoing FBI investigation into John Bolton during an appearance on FOX News. Turley explained that depending on what authorities found during a recent raid of Bolton’s home, the former national security adviser could face significant prison time if charged with possessing classified materials.
“These are longstanding allegations that the book indicated or referenced classified material he may have acquired when he was in the administration. We are not clear what it is, but it could be national defense information,” Turley said. “That is important because that creates a heightened potential penalty. You can have penalties that range from 5-20 years. 20 years is the consensus for concealing information, obstructing justice. Simply having classified information can weigh in at about 10 years, and there are often multiple counts because each of those documents can be charged separately.”
Turley noted the history of the case: “There is a strange history here. You had allegations coming out as early as the first Trump administration and then there was an allegationthat the Biden administration scuttled further look at this case, and now we have this new development.”
He added, “We really don’t know if there is something that has occurred most recently, whether they uncovered something they believe is sort of evergreen — that this is a viable criminal case.”
A video clip of Turley’s comments circulated online after his appearance.
