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

"We can't delay further, it's killing our reputation and trustworthiness," the leader wrote last month in a Truth Social post.

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

Each have subsequently been indicted, in cases that many specialists have said seem to be driven by politics and challenging to succeed in legal proceedings.

But the most recent charges against a presidential opponent, ex security advisor John Bolton, differ significantly, legal experts and former prosecutors say.

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

The Details of the Legal Situation

Bolton has been formally charged on federal charges pertaining to the supposed improper handling of sensitive materials. After leaving the White House in 2019, he has become a outspoken Trump critic, going so far as to describe him "remarkably ignorant" and unsuitable for the presidency in his book.

Experts say that while there may be political motivations to go after Bolton, the procedures used to obtain an charge and the proof gathered against him indicate a possibly stronger case than the Justice Department brought against James.

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

Throughout his time as Trump's security advisor, and after his 2019 White House departure, prosecutors claimed that Bolton placed the nation at risk by improperly retaining and sending classified information to relatives using unprotected methods, including AOL. Several of the materials were labeled top secret.

The indictment alleges that at a certain time a hacker accessed to Bolton's system where files were kept and sent an seeming warning to cause "the biggest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were released".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on recently to eighteen distinct charges of improperly handling classified information.

Political Motivation or a Substantial Legal Argument?

The timing of his charge - coming on the tails of charges against James - has revived questions about political pressure on the legal system.

Trump previously implied Bolton belonged in prison, and described him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his role, authored a book about his experience in the Trump government that was sharply negative of the president.

"Undoubtedly that the schedule of this charge, when combined with others, has raised doubts 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, "if the DOJ is capable to prove the facts stated and show the material is correctly designated, his behavior may certainly have broken the law".

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

"Cases that concern sensitive materials pose challenges to prosecute, but they may and are brought against both low-level and senior officials, from time to time," she said.

Similarities to Examinations into Former President and President

Trump similarly faced charges of wrongfully storing sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and obstructing their recovery, but that matter was ultimately thrown out by a court official and voided by his return as leader.

A independent investigator also found that former President Joe Biden improperly stored sensitive materials from his period as second-in-command, but did not criminally charge him.

Bolton's situation shares characteristics to Trump's sensitive materials issues, noted Mr Lesko, who previously held a senior security role at the Justice Department.

Rigorous procedures regulate the handling of classified documents. To secure a conviction, the government must prove that Bolton was aware the material he was sending was classified, and he had to knowingly transfer it to someone without authorization to obtain it.

"Due to the classified nature of the information at question in this matter, we don't have a great deal of details about why the prosecution contends things like the diary entries and the additional material he communicated by email, and why there were classified," explained Mr Jaffer.

A Increasingly Conventional Prosecution

The procedure by which the DOJ brought this case will be closely examined, following Trump openly expressed his wish to see his political opponents prosecuted and several of those charges materialized.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's case, prosecutors appear to have adhered to protocol.

"The Bolton prosecution and ultimately the charge appeared to have followed the standard process including the rules and standards within the Department of Justice," he stated.

Unlike Comey's brief, concise charge, Bolton's was a increasingly "conventional" filing that "clearly outlines the details involving the circumstances and situation in this instance," Mr Lesko commented.

"It appears reasonably aligned with a series of precedents... where government officials improperly handled and shared classified material."