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Former President Donald Trump has consistently shown his desire to see critics probed, applying pressure on the DOJ to charge former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We can't delay any longer, it's damaging our reputation and credibility," the leader wrote last month in a Truth Social message.

"I was impeached me, and charged me (5 times!)" he declared, mentioning the multiple legal proceedings he encountered after leaving the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Each have since been indicted, in situations that numerous specialists have stated appear to be politically motivated and challenging to win in legal proceedings.

But the latest allegations against a presidential opponent, former security advisor John Bolton, differ significantly, legal specialists and ex-prosecutors assert.

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

The Details of Bolton's Case

Bolton has been formally charged on federal charges related to the supposed mishandling of sensitive materials. Since departing the White House in 2019, he has emerged as a outspoken presidential opponent, going so far as to describe him "stunningly uninformed" and unsuitable for the presidency in his memoir.

Experts say that while there may be political reasons to target Bolton, the procedures used to secure an indictment and the proof gathered against him indicate a possibly more substantial legal argument than the DOJ brought against Comey.

"These actions that's being alleged is both more severe and appears to have occurred over a considerable duration," commented Carissa Byrne Hessick, a academic at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his tenure as Trump's security advisor, and after his 2019 White House departure, prosecutors claimed that Bolton put the country at risk by improperly keeping and transmitting classified information to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Several of the documents were marked highly classified.

The indictment states that at a certain time a unauthorized user accessed to Bolton's system where files were kept and sent an seeming threat to cause "the largest controversy since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Friday to 18 distinct counts of mishandling classified information.

Retribution or a Substantial Case?

The schedule of his charge - arriving on the tails of allegations against James - has revived concerns about political pressure on the justice system.

Trump once suggested Bolton belonged in prison, and described him a "disreputable person". Bolton, for his role, authored a publication about his time in the Trump government that was sharply negative of the leader.

"Undoubtedly that the schedule of this indictment, when combined with others, has raised doubts about the validity of these allegations, and why these charges are being filed now," said Jamil Jaffer, creator and director of the National Security Institute.

However, he added, "should the DOJ is capable to demonstrate the allegations stated and show the material is properly designated, his conduct may certainly have violated the law".

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

"Cases that concern classified information present difficulties to prosecute, but they may and are filed against both junior and high-level personnel, from time to time," she explained.

Similarities to Examinations into Trump and President

Trump similarly faced charges of wrongfully storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and hindering their recovery, but that case was ultimately dismissed by a court official and voided by his return as leader.

A independent investigator additionally determined that ex-President Joe Biden improperly stored classified documents from his time as vice president, but failed to prosecute him.

Bolton's situation shares characteristics to Trump's classified documents issues, said Mr Lesko, who previously held a top national security position at the DOJ.

Strict protocols regulate the management of sensitive materials. To secure a conviction, the government must demonstrate that Bolton knew the material he was transmitting was restricted, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone not entitled to obtain it.

"Because of the classified character of the material at issue in this case, we don't have a lot of details about the reasons the prosecution contends things like the personal notes and the other information he communicated by email, and the reason there were restricted," said Mr Jaffer.

A More Traditional Legal Action

The process by which the Justice Department initiated this case will be closely examined, after Trump openly expressed his wish to see his critics charged and several of those indictments materialized.

But Mr Lesko indicated in Bolton's situation, prosecutors seem to have followed protocol.

"The Bolton prosecution and eventually the charge seemed to have observed the standard process including the rules and norms within the Department of Justice," he stated.

Unlike Comey's brief, concise charge, Bolton's was a more "conventional" document that "explicitly outlines the particulars involving the facts and situation here," Mr Lesko commented.

"It appears fairly consistent with a series of cases... where public servants mishandled and transmitted classified material."