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Ex-President Donald Trump has repeatedly shown his desire to see critics probed, exerting pressure on the Justice Department to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We can't delay any longer, it's damaging our reputation and trustworthiness," the president wrote recently in a Truth Social post.

"I was impeached twice, and indicted me (five times!)" he said, referencing the multiple legal proceedings he encountered after departing the White House in 2021 and James's lawsuit.

Each have since been charged, in situations that numerous specialists have stated seem to be politically motivated and difficult to succeed in legal proceedings.

But the latest allegations against a Trump critic, former security advisor John Bolton, stand apart, legal experts and former prosecutors assert.

"I would say, comparing Bolton's charges to James' is like equating two different things," stated Mark Lesko, a former federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York.

This Specifics of Bolton's Legal Situation

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

Specialists say that while there may be political reasons to target Bolton, the methods used to secure an indictment and the proof gathered against him suggest a potentially stronger case than the Justice Department brought against James.

"These actions that's being claimed is simultaneously more severe and appears to have taken place over a considerable period of time," commented Carissa Byrne Hessick, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his time as Trump's national security adviser, and following his 2019 White House departure, authorities claimed that Bolton placed the country at risk by improperly retaining and sending sensitive documents to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Several of the documents were labeled top secret.

The indictment states that at a certain time a unauthorized user gained access to Bolton's account where documents were kept and sent an apparent warning to cause "the largest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a hearing on recently to eighteen separate counts of improperly handling classified information.

Retribution or a Substantial Legal Argument?

The timing of his indictment - coming on the tails of charges against James - has revived concerns about external influence on the justice system.

Trump once suggested Bolton should be in jail, and described him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his part, authored a book about his experience in the Trump administration that was sharply negative of the president.

"Undoubtedly that the schedule of this charge, when paired with others, has raised doubts about the strength of these allegations, and the reason these counts are being brought now," stated Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute.

Nevertheless, he continued, "if the DOJ is capable to demonstrate the facts alleged and demonstrate the information is properly classified, his conduct may very well have broken the statute".

Prosecuting such a high-ranking figure for mishandling classified documents is "uncommon" but not without precedent, said Carrie Cordero, a expert at the Center for a New American Security.

"Situations that involve classified information pose difficulties to prosecute, but they can and are filed against both junior and senior officials, from occasionally," she said.

Similarities to Examinations into Former President and Biden

Trump likewise faced charges of improperly storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and hindering their return, but that matter was ultimately thrown out by a federal judge and voided by his re-election as leader.

A special counsel additionally determined that ex-President Joe Biden improperly maintained classified documents from his time as second-in-command, but did not criminally charge him.

Bolton's case bears similarities to Trump's classified documents matters, noted Mr Lesko, who previously held a senior security role at the Justice Department.

Rigorous protocols govern the handling of classified documents. To win a guilty verdict, the government must prove that Bolton was aware the material he was transmitting was classified, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone not entitled to obtain it.

"Due to the sensitive nature of the material at question in this case, we don't have a lot of particulars about why the government believes elements like the diary entries and the additional material he communicated by email, and the reason there were restricted," explained Mr Jaffer.

A More Traditional Legal Action

The process by which the DOJ brought this legal action will be under scrutiny, after Trump openly posted his wish to see his critics prosecuted and several of those indictments materialized.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's case, prosecutors seem to have followed protocol.

"The Bolton case and eventually the charge appeared to have followed the standard process including the rules and norms within the DOJ," he stated.

Unlike Comey's brief, two-page indictment, Bolton's was a increasingly "traditional" document that "clearly sets forth the details involving the facts and situation here," Mr Lesko said.

"It appears fairly aligned with a long line of precedents... where public servants improperly handled and shared classified material."