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Former President Donald Trump has consistently expressed his wish to see opponents probed, exerting pressure on the Justice Department to prosecute ex FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We can't delay further, it's damaging our reputation and trustworthiness," the leader wrote recently in a Truth Social message.

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

Both have subsequently been charged, in situations that numerous specialists have stated seem to be driven by politics and difficult to succeed in court.

But the most recent charges against a Trump critic, ex security advisor John Bolton, differ significantly, legal specialists and former prosecutors say.

"In my opinion, comparing Bolton's case to James' is like equating apples to oranges," stated Mark Lesko, a former federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York.

The Specifics of the Case

Bolton has been formally charged on national allegations related to the alleged improper handling of sensitive materials. After departing 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.

Experts contend that while there may be political motivations to target Bolton, the methods used to obtain an charge and the evidence gathered against him suggest a potentially more substantial case than the Justice Department presented against Comey.

"This misconduct that's being alleged is simultaneously more severe and seems to have occurred over a considerable duration," commented Carissa Byrne Hessick, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his time as Trump's security advisor, and following his 2019 White House exit, authorities alleged that Bolton placed the nation at risk by improperly keeping and sending sensitive documents to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Some of the materials were marked highly classified.

The charge alleges that at one point a hacker accessed to Bolton's system where files were stored and transmitted an apparent threat to cause "the biggest controversy since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton entered a not guilty plea during a hearing on Friday to eighteen separate charges of mishandling sensitive materials.

Retribution or a Strong Legal Argument?

The schedule of his indictment - arriving on the heels of allegations against James - has renewed questions about external influence on the legal system.

Trump once implied Bolton should be in prison, and called him a "disreputable person". Bolton, for his role, wrote a publication about his experience in the Trump government that was sharply negative of the president.

"There's no question that the schedule of this charge, when paired with others, has prompted questions about the strength of these allegations, and the reason these counts are being brought at this time," said Jamil Jaffer, founder and director of the National Security Institute.

Nevertheless, he added, "should the DOJ is able to demonstrate the facts stated and demonstrate the information is properly designated, his conduct may very well have broken the statute".

Prosecuting such a high-ranking official for improperly handling classified documents is "uncommon" but not without precedent, noted Carrie Cordero, a expert at the Center for a New American Security.

"Situations that involve classified information pose challenges to prosecute, but they may and are filed against equally junior and high-level officials, from time to time," she said.

Similarities to Investigations into Former President and President

Trump likewise faced allegations of improperly storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and hindering their recovery, but that case was ultimately thrown out by a federal judge and voided by his re-election as president.

A independent investigator also found that ex-President Joe Biden wrongfully maintained sensitive materials from his time as vice president, but failed to criminally charge him.

Bolton's case shares characteristics to Biden's classified documents matters, noted Mr Lesko, who also held a top security position at the Justice Department.

Rigorous protocols govern the management of sensitive materials. To secure a conviction, the prosecution must demonstrate that Bolton was aware the information he was transmitting was classified, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone not entitled to obtain it.

"Due to the sensitive character of the information at question in this matter, we lack a lot of details about why the government contends elements like the personal notes and the other material he shared by email, and why there were restricted," said Mr Jaffer.

A Increasingly Traditional Legal Action

The procedure by which the DOJ initiated this legal action will be under scrutiny, after Trump openly posted his desire to see his political opponents charged and some of those charges materialized.

But Mr Lesko indicated in Bolton's situation, authorities seem to have adhered to standard procedure.

"The Bolton case and ultimately the charge appeared to have followed the standard procedure including the regulations and standards within the Department of Justice," he said.

In contrast to Comey's brief, concise indictment, Bolton's was a increasingly "conventional" filing that "clearly sets forth the particulars involving the facts and situation here," Mr Lesko said.

"It appears reasonably aligned with a long line of precedents... where government officials mishandled and transmitted classified material."