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Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see critics investigated, exerting 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 killing our reputation and credibility," the president stated last month in a Truth Social message.

"I was impeached me, and charged me (5 times!)" he declared, mentioning the multiple legal proceedings he encountered after departing the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Each have since been charged, in cases that numerous experts have stated seem to be politically motivated and difficult to win in legal proceedings.

But the latest allegations against a presidential opponent, former security advisor John Bolton, differ significantly, legal specialists and ex-prosecutors assert.

"In my opinion, comparing Bolton's case to Comey's is like equating apples to oranges," stated Mark Lesko, a former federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York.

This Specifics of the Legal Situation

Bolton has been criminally indicted on federal charges pertaining to the alleged improper handling of classified information. Since departing the White House in 2019, he has become a vocal presidential opponent, going so far as to describe him "stunningly uninformed" and unsuitable for office in his book.

Experts say that while there may be political reasons to go after Bolton, the procedures used to secure an charge and the evidence gathered against him suggest a potentially stronger case than the DOJ brought against James.

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

During his tenure as Trump's national security adviser, and after his 2019 White House exit, prosecutors alleged that Bolton put the nation at danger by improperly retaining and sending classified information to relatives using unprotected methods, including AOL. Some of the documents were marked top secret.

The indictment alleges that at a certain time a hacker gained access to Bolton's system where files were stored 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 hearing on recently to eighteen distinct counts of mishandling classified information.

Political Motivation or a Strong Case?

The schedule of his indictment - arriving on the heels of allegations against Comey - has renewed concerns about external influence on the legal system.

Trump once suggested Bolton should be in jail, and described him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his role, wrote a publication about his experience in the Trump administration that was highly critical of the president.

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

However, he continued, "should the Justice Department is able to demonstrate the facts stated and demonstrate the material is correctly designated, his conduct may very well have broken the statute".

Prosecuting such a high-ranking official for improperly handling classified documents is "uncommon" but not without precedent, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Situations that involve classified information present difficulties to try, but they can and are filed against equally low-level and high-level personnel, from time to time," she said.

Parallels to Examinations into Trump and President

Trump likewise encountered charges of improperly storing sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and hindering their recovery, but that case was ultimately dismissed by a court official and voided by his return as president.

A special counsel also found that ex-President Joe Biden wrongfully maintained sensitive materials from his time as vice president, but did not prosecute him.

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

Rigorous procedures govern the management of classified documents. To secure a conviction, the government must prove that Bolton was aware the material he was transmitting was restricted, and he had to intentionally transfer it to someone without authorization to obtain it.

"Because of the sensitive character of the information at issue in this matter, we lack a lot of details about why the government contends things like the diary entries and the other material he communicated by email, and why there were restricted," explained Mr Jaffer.

A Increasingly Traditional Prosecution

The procedure by which the Justice Department initiated this case will be under scrutiny, following Trump openly posted his wish to see his political opponents prosecuted and several of those indictments came to fruition.

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

"The Bolton prosecution and eventually the indictment seemed to have followed the regular procedure including the regulations and standards within the DOJ," he said.

In contrast to Comey's brief, two-page indictment, Bolton's was a more "conventional" filing that "clearly outlines the particulars concerning the circumstances and circumstances in this instance," Mr Lesko commented.

"It appears reasonably consistent with a long line of cases... where government officials mishandled and shared classified material."