This past week saw the Department of Justice (DOJ) indict former National Security Adviser John Bolton on 18 criminal counts.

While Bolton has condemned the indictment as retribution from President Donald Trump, even one of Trump's critics says it was the right move. 

Former White House counsel says indictment is "clearly" not revenge

As Newsmax reported, that contention was put forward on Thursday by Ty Cobb, who previously served as Trump's White House special counsel but has since become a vocal critic.

"Bolton [is] insisting that this is purely revenge, that's clearly not the case if you read the indictment," Cobb was quoted as telling CNN.

Bolton's indictment alleges that he shared with his wife and daughter over 1,000 pages of notes which included sensitive national defense information.

It further maintains that some of this information would later be exposed when Iranian-linked operatives hacked his email account.

Contrast drawn with indictment of James Comey

Cobb then went on to contrast the indictment against Bolton with charges that the DOJ has brought against former FBI Director James Comey.

"Keep in mind that in the Comey case, seasoned senior prosecutors who were later forced to resign told the Justice Department that there was insufficient evidence to pursue the case," he insisted.

"That's clearly not what we have here when you look at this indictment ... so, this shouldn't come as a news flash that there's a potential crime here," Cobb stressed.

"Two federal magistrate judges issued search warrants where the probable cause standard that was used by the grand jury was met. And they issued search warrants," the former White House counsel pointed out.

"The materials that were taken are consequential — and highly consequential — because the most important paragraph in the indictment to me is the paragraph that makes plain not a single one of the documents used in the book or in the pre-review process is a basis for any of the charges," Cobb added.

Cobb says Trump's comments "won't save" Bolton

What's more, Cobb also dismissed suggestions that Trump's negative public comments about Bolton would invalidate his prosecution.

He declared that the president's remarks are "not going to derail" Bolton's prosecution although they might "result in a protective order of sorts" or "a limiting instruction to the jury."

"But it won't save him," Cobb said of Bolton. "And this judge [Theodore Chuang] is a very seasoned judge. He's been on the bench for over a decade."