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Former President Donald Trump has consistently expressed his desire to see critics probed, applying 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 damaging our standing and trustworthiness," the leader stated last month in a Truth Social message.

"I was impeached twice, and charged me (5 times!)" he said, mentioning the multiple legal proceedings he faced after leaving the White House in 2021 and James's lawsuit.

Each have subsequently been charged, in cases that numerous specialists have stated appear to be driven by politics and challenging to win in legal proceedings.

But the latest charges against a presidential opponent, former national security adviser John Bolton, differ significantly, legal experts and former prosecutors say.

"In my opinion, comparing Bolton's case to Comey's is like equating two different things," said Mark Lesko, a ex federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York.

The Details of Bolton's Legal Situation

Bolton has been formally charged on federal charges related to the alleged improper handling of sensitive materials. Since departing the White House in 2019, he has emerged as a vocal presidential opponent, even to call him "remarkably ignorant" and unfit for the presidency in his book.

Specialists contend that while there may be political reasons to go after Bolton, the procedures used to obtain an indictment and the proof gathered against him suggest a potentially more substantial case than the Justice Department presented against Comey.

"This misconduct that's being alleged is both more serious and seems to have occurred over a significant period of time," commented Carissa Byrne Hessick, a academic at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his tenure as Trump's security advisor, and following his 2019 White House departure, prosecutors alleged that Bolton placed the nation at risk by wrongfully keeping and sending sensitive documents to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Several of the documents were labeled highly classified.

The charge alleges that at one point a hacker accessed to Bolton's system where documents were kept and transmitted an seeming threat to cause "the largest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were released".

Bolton entered a not guilty plea during a court appearance on Friday to eighteen separate counts of mishandling sensitive materials.

Retribution or a Substantial Case?

The timing of his indictment - coming on the tails of allegations against Comey - has renewed concerns about external influence on the legal system.

Trump once implied Bolton should be in prison, and described him a "disreputable person". Bolton, for his role, wrote a book about his time in the Trump government that was highly critical of the president.

"There's no question that the schedule of this charge, when combined with additional cases, has prompted questions about the strength of these charges, and the reason these charges are being filed at this time," stated Jamil Jaffer, creator and director of the National Security Institute.

Nevertheless, he continued, "if the DOJ is able to demonstrate the allegations stated and show the material is correctly designated, his conduct may very well have violated the law".

Charging such a senior official for mishandling classified documents is "uncommon" but not without precedent, said Carrie Cordero, a expert at the Center for a New American Security.

"Cases that concern sensitive materials present challenges to prosecute, but they can and are brought against equally junior and senior officials, from occasionally," she explained.

Parallels to Examinations into Trump and President

Trump likewise encountered allegations of wrongfully keeping sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and obstructing their return, but that matter was eventually dismissed by a federal judge and negated by his return as president.

A independent investigator additionally found that ex-President Joe Biden improperly maintained sensitive materials from his period as second-in-command, but failed to criminally charge him.

Bolton's case bears similarities to Biden's sensitive materials matters, said Mr Lesko, who previously held a senior security role at the Justice Department.

Strict protocols govern the handling of sensitive materials. To secure a conviction, the prosecution must prove that Bolton was aware the information he was sending was classified, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone not entitled to receive it.

"Because of the sensitive character of the material at question in this matter, we lack a great deal of details about the reasons the prosecution contends things like the diary entries and the additional material he shared by email, and the reason there were classified," said Mr Jaffer.

A More Traditional Prosecution

The process by which the Justice Department initiated this legal action will be under scrutiny, following Trump openly expressed his wish to see his political opponents prosecuted and several of those indictments materialized.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's case, authorities appear to have followed protocol.

"The Bolton prosecution and ultimately the charge appeared to have observed the standard process including the regulations and norms within the DOJ," he stated.

Unlike Comey's brief, two-page charge, Bolton's was a increasingly "traditional" document that "explicitly sets forth the details concerning the circumstances and circumstances in this instance," Mr Lesko said.

"It appears fairly consistent with a long line of precedents... where public servants mishandled and shared sensitive information."