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Former President Donald Trump has consistently shown his desire to see opponents investigated, applying influence 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 standing and trustworthiness," the president wrote recently in a Truth Social post.

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

Both have since been indicted, in situations that many specialists have stated seem to be politically motivated and difficult to win in legal proceedings.

But the latest charges against a Trump critic, former security advisor John Bolton, stand apart, legal specialists and former prosecutors assert.

"I would say, comparing Bolton's case to James' is like comparing apples to oranges," said Mark Lesko, a former acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

This Details of Bolton's Legal Situation

Bolton has been formally charged on national allegations pertaining to the supposed improper handling of sensitive materials. Since departing the White House in 2019, he has emerged as a vocal Trump critic, going so far as to describe him "stunningly uninformed" and unsuitable for the presidency in his memoir.

Experts contend that while there may be political reasons to target Bolton, the procedures used to secure an indictment and the evidence compiled against him suggest a possibly more substantial case than the Justice Department presented against Comey.

"These actions that's being claimed is both more severe and appears to have occurred over a significant period of time," said Carissa Byrne Hessick, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Throughout his time as Trump's national security adviser, and following his 2019 White House departure, prosecutors alleged that Bolton put the nation at risk by wrongfully keeping and sending sensitive documents to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Several of the documents were marked highly classified.

The indictment alleges that at a certain time a unauthorized user 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 pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on recently to eighteen distinct charges of improperly handling classified information.

Political Motivation or a Substantial Case?

The timing of his indictment - arriving on the heels of charges against Comey - has renewed questions about political pressure on the legal system.

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

"There's no question that the timing of this charge, when paired with others, has prompted doubts about the validity of these allegations, and why these charges are being brought now," stated Jamil Jaffer, creator and director of the National Security Institute.

Nevertheless, he added, "should the DOJ is able to prove the facts alleged and show the information is properly designated, his conduct may certainly have broken the statute".

Prosecuting such a high-ranking official for mishandling sensitive materials is "rare" but not unprecedented, said Carrie Cordero, a expert at the Center for a New American Security.

"Cases that involve sensitive materials pose difficulties to try, but they may and are brought against both junior and senior personnel, from time to time," she said.

Similarities to Investigations into Trump and Biden

Trump similarly encountered charges of wrongfully storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and obstructing their recovery, but that matter was eventually dismissed by a court official and negated by his return as leader.

A independent investigator additionally determined that former President Joe Biden wrongfully maintained sensitive materials from his time as vice president, but did not criminally charge him.

Bolton's case bears similarities to Trump's classified documents matters, said Mr Lesko, who also held a senior national security position at the Justice Department.

Strict procedures regulate the management of sensitive materials. To win a conviction, the prosecution must demonstrate that Bolton was aware the material he was transmitting was classified, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone not entitled to receive it.

"Because of the classified character of the material at issue in this case, we lack a great deal of particulars about why the government contends elements like the diary entries and the additional material he communicated by electronic message, and why there were restricted," said Mr Jaffer.

A Increasingly Conventional Legal Action

The process by which the Justice Department initiated this legal action will be closely examined, after Trump openly posted his desire to see his critics prosecuted and some of those indictments materialized.

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

"The Bolton prosecution and ultimately the indictment appeared to have observed the regular procedure including the regulations and standards within the DOJ," he said.

In contrast to Comey's brief, two-page charge, Bolton's was a increasingly "traditional" filing that "clearly sets forth the details involving the facts and situation in this instance," Mr Lesko said.

"It seems reasonably consistent with a long line of cases... where government officials mishandled and transmitted sensitive information."