National Security Advisor John Bolton Indicted
Stocks are in decline as the government shutdown extends and government workers are laid off while budget disputes remain.
Quick overview
- Former National Security Advisor John Bolton has been indicted on 18 counts of mishandling classified materials.
- Bolton is the third Trump opponent to face criminal charges recently, following Letitia James and James Comey.
- The ongoing government shutdown, now in its third week, has suspended around 1.4 million government workers without pay.
- The shutdown is impacting the stock market, causing a decline as traders await a resolution on the budget.
The former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who served under Donald Trump, has been indicted today, and he is the third Trump opponent in the last few weeks to face criminal charges.
The previous National Security Advisor John Bolton joins a growing list of Trump adversaries who have been charged with criminal activity. This list also includes New York Attorney General Letitia James and FBI Director James Comey.
It looks like Trump is working his way through the ls to government officials who have stood in his way, and now Bolton is indicted on charges of handling classified information inappropriately. He was indicted by a grand jury on 18 counts of mishandling of classified materials.
The charges are serious enough that they each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charges include eight counts of sending national defense information as well as 10 counts of holding onto national defense documents. Bolton has pleaded not guilty and has been released temporarily but will likely be brought before a court in November.
The Government Shutdown Continues
Funding legislation continues to be voted down in the Senate, creating a government shutdown. Now in its third week, this shutdown affects extensive areas of government and has kept the government back from approving budget details for its many arms. The Senate is divided on a budget that affects funding for the military and would continue to provide funds to controversial projects around the world.
The shutdown has caused around 1.4 million government workers to be suspended, many without pay. Many parts of government are completely shut down for now, pending a decision by the Senate to approve some kind of budget plan.
The shutdown has started to affect the stock market as well as cryptocurrency markets. This week saw the stock indices fall from their record highs and enter a sharp decline. With so many government workers on extended leave of absence with no definite end right now, that means millions of dollars is potentially not being invested. Traders are more cautious right now and are waiting to make investment moves until they know when the government will reopen.
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