John Bolton’s trial still far off as judge grills DOJ over lengthy discovery process
GREENBELT, MD — Lawyers for John Bolton and the Trump administration appeared in federal court in Maryland Friday to discuss next steps in the criminal case for Trump's former national...
By Fox News · Fox News
GREENBELT, MD — Lawyers for John Bolton and the Trump administration appeared in federal court in Maryland Friday to discuss next steps in the criminal case for Trump's former national security adviser, who was indicted last month on charges of mishandling classified and sensitive materials. Bolton was indicted last month on 18 criminal charges stemming from his alleged retention and transmission of classified and sensitive materials during his first term, including national defense information. Authorities have accused him of sending more than 1,000 "diary-like" updates to his wife and daughter between 2018 and 2019 via emails and texts, including classified information from intelligence briefings and meetings with foreign officials. The pre-trial hearing in Bolton's case on Friday was largely a procedural one, centered on next steps for both parties to review the breadth of discovery materials Bolton is accused of illegally retaining and transmitting. If nothing else, it underscored how distant Bolton’s trial still appears. The deadlines that both parties agreed to will put discovery in the case well into 2026, with a status conference in the case scheduled for October of next year. A trial date has not yet been set. WHO IS JUDGE CHUANG, THE OBAMA APPOINTEE ASSIGNED TO JOHN BOLTON'S CASE? U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang seemed reluctant to accept the government’s lengthy proposed timeline for the document review process to take place, noting the government’s obligations under the Speedy Trials Act, which sets time limits for federal criminal trials. Seven months "is a very long time," Chuang told Thomas Sullivan, the lead prosecutor for the Justice Department, referring to the proposed May 22, 2026, date to produce discovery. "How many documents are in play here? Frankly, most of this should have been done before the indictment," Chuang noted. "Even assuming that couldn’t be completed, I still can’t understand why it would take seven months." In response,…