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Ex-President Donald Trump has consistently expressed his desire to see opponents investigated, exerting influence on the Justice Department to charge ex FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We cannot postpone any longer, it's damaging our reputation and trustworthiness," the president stated last month in a social media message.

"They impeached twice, and indicted me (five times!)" he declared, mentioning the multiple legal proceedings he faced after departing the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Both have subsequently been charged, in situations that many experts have said appear to be politically motivated and difficult to succeed in legal proceedings.

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

"I would say, contrasting Bolton's case to James' is like equating two different things," stated Mark Lesko, a former acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

The Specifics of the Case

Bolton has been formally charged on national allegations pertaining to the supposed improper handling of sensitive materials. After leaving the White House in 2019, he has become a outspoken Trump critic, even to describe him "remarkably ignorant" and unfit for office in his book.

Experts say that while there may be political reasons to target Bolton, the procedures used to secure an charge and the proof gathered against him indicate a potentially stronger case than the DOJ presented against Comey.

"This misconduct that's being alleged is both more severe and seems 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 security advisor, and following his 2019 White House exit, authorities claimed that Bolton put the country at danger by wrongfully retaining and transmitting sensitive documents to relatives using insecure means, including AOL. Some of the documents were marked top secret.

The indictment states that at a certain time a unauthorized user gained access to Bolton's account where documents were kept and transmitted an seeming warning to cause "the biggest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were released".

Bolton entered a not guilty plea during a hearing on recently to 18 separate counts of mishandling sensitive materials.

Political Motivation or a Strong Case?

The schedule of his indictment - coming on the tails of charges against James - has revived questions about political pressure on the justice system.

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

"There's no question that the timing of this indictment, when paired with additional cases, has prompted doubts about the validity of these charges, and the reason these charges are being filed now," stated Jamil Jaffer, creator and executive director of the National Security Institute.

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

Prosecuting such a high-ranking official for improperly handling classified documents is "uncommon" but not unprecedented, noted Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

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

Similarities to Examinations into Trump and Biden

Trump likewise faced charges of wrongfully storing sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and hindering their recovery, but that case was ultimately thrown out by a court official and negated by his re-election as leader.

A independent investigator also found that former President Joe Biden improperly maintained classified documents from his period as vice president, but did not criminally charge him.

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

Strict protocols regulate the management of sensitive materials. To secure a guilty verdict, the prosecution must prove that Bolton was aware the information he was transmitting was classified, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone without authorization to receive it.

"Because of the classified nature of the material at issue in this matter, we don't have a great deal of particulars about the reasons the prosecution contends elements like the personal notes and the additional information he shared by email, and the reason there were classified," said Mr Jaffer.

A More Conventional Prosecution

The procedure by which the DOJ initiated this legal action will be closely examined, following Trump openly posted his desire to see his critics charged and several of those indictments came to fruition.

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

"This Bolton case and ultimately the indictment seemed to have followed the regular procedure including the rules 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 particulars involving the circumstances and situation in this instance," Mr Lesko said.

"It seems fairly consistent with a series of cases... where government officials mishandled and transmitted classified material."