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Ex-President Donald Trump has repeatedly shown his wish to see critics probed, exerting pressure on the Justice Department to charge ex FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We cannot postpone further, it's killing our standing and trustworthiness," the president wrote recently in a social media message.

"I was impeached twice, and indicted me (five times!)" he declared, mentioning the four criminal cases he faced after departing the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Both have subsequently been indicted, in situations that many specialists have stated appear to be politically motivated and difficult to win in court.

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

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

This Details of the Legal Situation

Bolton has been formally charged on national allegations pertaining to the alleged improper handling of classified information. Since leaving the White House in 2019, he has become a outspoken Trump critic, even to describe him "remarkably ignorant" and unsuitable for the presidency in his memoir.

Specialists say that while there may be political motivations to target Bolton, the procedures used to obtain an indictment and the proof gathered against him suggest a potentially stronger case than the Justice Department presented against James.

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

Throughout his tenure as Trump's national security adviser, and following his 2019 White House departure, authorities alleged that Bolton placed the nation at risk by improperly keeping and sending classified information to family members using unprotected methods, including AOL. Some of the documents were marked highly classified.

The charge alleges that at one point a unauthorized user gained access to Bolton's system where files were kept and transmitted an apparent warning to cause "the biggest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton entered a not guilty plea during a court appearance on Friday to eighteen separate counts of improperly handling classified information.

Political Motivation or a Strong Case?

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

Trump previously suggested Bolton belonged in prison, and described him a "disreputable person". Bolton, for his role, wrote a book about his experience in the Trump administration that was sharply negative of the leader.

"Undoubtedly that the timing of this charge, when paired with additional cases, has raised doubts about the strength of these allegations, and why these charges are being filed at this time," stated Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute.

However, he continued, "should the DOJ is able to demonstrate the facts stated and demonstrate the information is properly designated, his behavior may certainly have violated the law".

Prosecuting such a high-ranking figure for improperly handling sensitive materials is "rare" but not unprecedented, noted Carrie Cordero, a expert at the Center for a New American Security.

"Situations that involve sensitive materials present challenges to prosecute, but they can and are filed against both low-level and senior officials, from time to time," she explained.

Parallels to Investigations into Former President and Biden

Trump likewise faced charges of wrongfully storing sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and hindering their recovery, but that matter was eventually thrown out by a federal judge and voided by his return as leader.

A special counsel also determined that ex-President Joe Biden improperly maintained classified documents from his time as vice president, but failed to prosecute him.

Bolton's case shares characteristics to Biden's sensitive materials issues, noted Mr Lesko, who previously held a top national security role at the DOJ.

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

"Due to the sensitive character of the information at issue in this case, we lack a lot of particulars about the reasons the government contends elements like the personal notes and the other information he shared by email, and the reason there were restricted," said Mr Jaffer.

A More Traditional Prosecution

The procedure by which the Justice Department brought this legal action will be under scrutiny, after Trump publicly posted his wish to see his political opponents prosecuted and some of those indictments materialized.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's situation, prosecutors appear to have adhered to protocol.

"This Bolton prosecution and ultimately the charge appeared to have followed the regular procedure including the regulations and norms within the DOJ," he said.

Unlike Comey's brief, two-page charge, Bolton's was a increasingly "traditional" document that "clearly sets forth the details involving the circumstances and situation in this instance," Mr Lesko commented.

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