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Ex-President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see opponents probed, applying pressure on the Justice Department to charge 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 recently in a Truth Social post.

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

Both have subsequently been indicted, in situations that numerous experts have stated appear to be politically motivated and difficult to succeed in court.

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

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

This Specifics of Bolton's Legal Situation

Bolton has been formally charged on national allegations related to the supposed improper handling of classified information. After departing the White House in 2019, he has emerged as a outspoken presidential opponent, going so far as to describe him "remarkably ignorant" and unsuitable for office in his memoir.

Experts contend that while there may be political motivations to target Bolton, the methods used to secure an charge and the proof gathered against him indicate a potentially more substantial case than the DOJ presented against Comey.

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

Throughout his tenure as Trump's national security adviser, and after his 2019 White House departure, prosecutors alleged that Bolton placed the nation at danger by wrongfully keeping and transmitting sensitive documents to relatives using unprotected methods, including AOL. Several of the documents were marked highly classified.

The charge alleges that at a certain time a unauthorized user gained access to Bolton's account where documents were kept and transmitted an apparent warning to cause "the biggest controversy since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton entered a not guilty plea during a hearing on Friday to 18 distinct counts of improperly handling classified information.

Retribution or a Substantial Legal Argument?

The timing of his charge - coming on the tails of allegations against James - has renewed questions about external influence on the justice system.

Trump previously implied Bolton should be in jail, and described him a "disreputable person". Bolton, for his role, authored a book about his time in the Trump administration that was sharply negative of the president.

"There's no question that the timing of this charge, when paired with additional cases, has prompted doubts about the strength of these allegations, and why these counts are being filed at this time," said Jamil Jaffer, creator and director of the National Security Institute.

Nevertheless, he added, "if the DOJ is able to demonstrate the facts alleged and demonstrate the material is properly classified, his behavior may certainly have broken the statute".

Charging such a senior official for improperly handling sensitive materials is "uncommon" but not unprecedented, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Situations that involve sensitive materials present challenges to prosecute, but they may and are brought against both junior and senior officials, from time to time," she explained.

Similarities to Investigations into Former President and Biden

Trump likewise encountered charges of improperly keeping sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and obstructing their recovery, but that matter was eventually dismissed by a court official and voided by his return as leader.

A special counsel also found that former President Joe Biden improperly maintained classified documents from his time as second-in-command, but did not prosecute him.

Bolton's case shares characteristics to Biden's classified documents matters, said Mr Lesko, who also held a senior national security role at the Justice Department.

Rigorous protocols govern the handling of classified documents. To secure a guilty verdict, the prosecution must demonstrate that Bolton knew the material he was sending was restricted, 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 case, we lack a lot of details about why the government believes things like the diary entries and the additional information he shared by email, and the reason there were classified," said Mr Jaffer.

A Increasingly Conventional Legal Action

The process by which the DOJ brought this case will be under scrutiny, following Trump openly posted his desire to see his critics prosecuted and several of those charges 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 rules and norms within the Department of Justice," he said.

In contrast to Comey's brief, concise indictment, Bolton's was a more "conventional" document that "clearly outlines the details concerning the circumstances and circumstances here," Mr Lesko commented.

"It seems fairly aligned with a series of precedents... where public servants improperly handled and transmitted classified material."