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Ex-President Donald Trump has consistently shown his desire to see opponents probed, exerting pressure on the Justice Department to charge former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We can't delay any longer, it's damaging our standing and credibility," the leader stated last month in a social media post.

"I was impeached me, and indicted me (five times!)" he declared, referencing the four criminal cases he encountered after departing the White House in 2021 and James's lawsuit.

Both have subsequently been indicted, in cases that numerous specialists have stated appear to be politically motivated and challenging to succeed in legal proceedings.

But the latest charges against a Trump critic, ex national security adviser John Bolton, differ significantly, legal experts and ex-prosecutors assert.

"In my opinion, comparing Bolton's case to James' is like comparing two different things," stated Mark Lesko, a former acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

The Specifics of the Legal Situation

Bolton has been formally charged on national allegations related to the alleged mishandling of sensitive materials. Since leaving the White House in 2019, he has become a outspoken Trump critic, going so far as to describe him "stunningly uninformed" and unfit for the presidency in his memoir.

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

"This misconduct that's being alleged is both more serious and appears to have occurred over a significant duration," said Carissa Byrne Hessick, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his time as Trump's security advisor, and following his 2019 White House departure, authorities alleged that Bolton put the country at risk by wrongfully retaining and transmitting classified information to relatives using unprotected methods, including AOL. Some of the documents were marked top secret.

The charge states that at a certain time a hacker gained access to Bolton's system where documents were stored and transmitted an apparent warning to cause "the largest controversy since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were released".

Bolton entered a not guilty plea during a court appearance on Friday to 18 separate counts of mishandling classified information.

Retribution or a Substantial Case?

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

Trump once implied Bolton should be in prison, and called him a "disreputable person". Bolton, for his role, authored a book about his experience in the Trump administration that was highly critical of the leader.

"Undoubtedly that the timing of this indictment, when combined with additional cases, has prompted questions about the strength of these allegations, and the reason these charges are being brought now," stated Jamil Jaffer, founder and 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 properly designated, his conduct may very well have violated the statute".

Charging such a senior official for improperly handling sensitive materials is "rare" but not without precedent, said Carrie Cordero, a expert at the Center for a New American Security.

"Situations that concern classified information present difficulties to prosecute, but they can and are filed against both junior and senior officials, from occasionally," she explained.

Similarities to Investigations into Former President and President

Trump similarly faced charges of wrongfully storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and obstructing their return, but that matter was eventually thrown out by a court official and negated by his re-election as president.

A independent investigator additionally found that former President Joe Biden wrongfully maintained classified documents from his time as second-in-command, but failed to criminally charge him.

Bolton's case shares characteristics to Trump's sensitive materials issues, said Mr Lesko, who also held a top security position at the Justice Department.

Strict procedures regulate the handling of classified documents. To win a guilty verdict, the prosecution must prove that Bolton was aware the information he was sending was restricted, and he had to intentionally transfer it to someone without authorization to obtain it.

"Because of the classified nature of the material at question in this case, we don't have a lot of details about the reasons the government contends elements like the diary entries and the other material he communicated by electronic message, and why there were classified," explained Mr Jaffer.

A Increasingly Conventional Prosecution

The procedure by which the Justice Department brought this case will be under scrutiny, after Trump publicly posted his wish to see his political opponents charged and some of those charges came to fruition.

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

"This Bolton prosecution and ultimately the indictment seemed to have observed the regular procedure including the rules and standards within the Department of Justice," he said.

Unlike Comey's short, two-page indictment, Bolton's was a more "traditional" filing that "explicitly outlines the details involving the facts and situation here," Mr Lesko commented.

"It appears fairly consistent with a long line of precedents... where public servants mishandled and shared classified material."