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Ex-President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his wish to see critics probed, exerting pressure on the Justice Department to charge ex FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We cannot postpone further, it's damaging our standing and credibility," the leader stated recently in a Truth Social message.

"They impeached me, and indicted me (5 times!)" he declared, referencing the multiple legal proceedings he faced after departing the White House in 2021 and James's lawsuit.

Each have subsequently been indicted, in situations that numerous experts have said appear to be driven by politics and challenging to succeed in legal proceedings.

But the latest allegations against a Trump critic, ex national security adviser John Bolton, stand apart, legal experts and ex-prosecutors say.

"In my opinion, comparing Bolton's charges to James' is like equating two different things," said Mark Lesko, a ex acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

This Details of Bolton's Case

Bolton has been criminally indicted on federal charges related to the alleged improper handling of classified information. Since departing the White House in 2019, he has become a vocal Trump critic, even 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 obtain an charge and the proof gathered against him suggest a potentially stronger case than the DOJ presented against Comey.

"This misconduct that's being claimed is simultaneously more serious and seems to have taken place over a considerable period of time," said Carissa Byrne Hessick, a academic at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his time as Trump's security advisor, and after his 2019 White House exit, prosecutors claimed that Bolton placed the nation at danger by improperly retaining and transmitting sensitive documents to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Some of the documents were marked highly classified.

The charge states that at a certain time a hacker gained access to Bolton's system where documents were stored and transmitted an seeming threat to cause "the largest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on recently to eighteen separate charges of mishandling classified information.

Retribution or a Substantial Case?

The timing of his indictment - arriving on the tails of charges against Comey - has revived concerns about political pressure on the justice system.

Trump previously suggested Bolton belonged in jail, and described him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his role, wrote a book about his time in the Trump government that was sharply negative of the leader.

"Undoubtedly that the schedule of this charge, when combined with additional cases, has prompted doubts about the validity of these charges, and why these charges are being filed at this time," said Jamil Jaffer, founder and director of the National Security Institute.

Nevertheless, he added, "if the Justice Department is able to demonstrate the allegations alleged and demonstrate the information is correctly designated, his behavior may certainly have violated the statute".

Charging such a high-ranking official for mishandling classified documents is "rare" but not without precedent, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Cases that involve sensitive materials present challenges to try, but they can and are brought against equally low-level and high-level personnel, from time to time," she said.

Similarities to Examinations into Former President and Biden

Trump likewise encountered allegations of wrongfully storing sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and obstructing their return, but that case was ultimately thrown out by a federal judge and voided by his return as leader.

A independent investigator additionally determined that former President Joe Biden improperly stored classified documents from his time as vice president, but did not prosecute him.

Bolton's situation bears similarities to Biden's sensitive materials issues, said Mr Lesko, who also held a senior national security position at the DOJ.

Strict protocols govern the handling of sensitive materials. To secure a conviction, the government must demonstrate that Bolton was aware the information he was sending was restricted, and he had to knowingly transfer it to someone not entitled to receive it.

"Because of the classified nature of the information at issue in this matter, we lack a great deal of particulars about why the prosecution believes elements like the diary entries and the other material he shared by electronic message, and why there were classified," explained Mr Jaffer.

A More Conventional Legal Action

The process by which the DOJ brought this legal action will be closely examined, after Trump openly posted his wish to see his political opponents charged and several of those indictments came to fruition.

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

"This Bolton case and ultimately the indictment appeared to have observed the regular procedure including the rules and standards within the DOJ," he said.

In contrast to Comey's brief, two-page indictment, Bolton's was a increasingly "traditional" document that "clearly sets forth the details concerning the circumstances and circumstances here," Mr Lesko said.

"It appears fairly consistent with a long line of precedents... where government officials improperly handled and shared classified material."