Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton pleads not guilty to classified documents charges

He was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Maryland.

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton has pleaded not guilty to all 18 counts of an indictment charging him with unlawful retention and dissemination of national defense information.

Bolton entered his not guilty plea Friday morning in a hearing in federal court in Maryland before Chief Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan.

He was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on charges that he allegedly unlawfully transmitted and retained classified documents.

The indictment charges Bolton with eight counts of unlawful transmission of national defense information as well as 10 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information.

Seven of the transmissions allegedly occurred during the time when Bolton was serving at Trump's national security adviser in 2018 and 2019, while another document was allegedly sent by Bolton just days after President Donald Trump removed him from the administration in September of 2019.

The indictment accuses Bolton of abusing his position as national security adviser by sharing "more than a thousand pages" of information in "diary-like entries" about his day-to-day activities with two recipients identified only as "Individual 1" and "Individual 2," who prosecutors say are Bolton's relatives.

Sources told ABC News that the relatives referred to in the indictment as 'Individual 1' and 'Individual 2' are Bolton's wife and daughter.

The indictment comes on the heels of the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James as Trump continues what critics call a campaign of retribution against his perceived political foes.

Federal agents in August searched Bolton's Maryland residence and Washington, D.C., office, related to allegations that Bolton possessed classified information.