Overview
- Justice Department lawyers told the court they are still processing seized materials and that the review could lead to additional charges.
- U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang pushed back on a seven‑month discovery plan, setting a Jan. 12 joint status report and a Feb. 13 deadline for pretrial motions.
- Prosecutors said 10 diary‑style messages Bolton allegedly sent to his wife and daughter are central to the case and contain information classified up to Top Secret.
- Access to key documents is slowed by intelligence‑community and attorney‑client privilege reviews, with the government preparing a temporary secure facility for defense access.
- No trial date has been set, discovery is expected to continue into 2026 with an October 2026 status conference noted, and Bolton maintains a not guilty plea to 18 counts.