Former Trump adviser John Bolton expected to plead guilty in classified documents case | Today’s news
Former US national security adviser John Bolton is expected to plead guilty to a single charge related to possession of classified information under a deal with the Justice Department, according to multiple media reports.
The deal would resolve a criminal case filed last year that accused Bolton of mishandling sensitive national security documents and sharing classified material with family members while preparing a memoir about his time in government.
The deal could help Bolton avoid prison
According to reports from CNN and the Associated Press, Bolton agreed to plead guilty to one count of illegally retaining national defense information.
As part of the agreement, he is expected to pay a fine of approximately $2.25 million. The deal also limits a possible prison sentence to five years, though it leaves open the possibility that he could avoid prison altogether. A federal judge will determine the final sentence, if any.
Court records show Bolton is scheduled to appear in federal court in Greenbelt, Md., on June 26 for a retrial hearing, a proceeding that often signals a plea deal.
Charges against Bolton
Federal prosecutors charged Bolton in October 2025 with 18 counts of possessing and disseminating classified information.
The indictment alleged that Bolton shared sensitive government information with two relatives for potential use in writing the book. The materials reportedly included notes from intelligence briefings and meetings with senior US officials and foreign leaders.
Prosecutors accused him of keeping and passing on national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act.
Bolton initially pleaded not guilty when he was charged.
A longtime critic of Trump
Bolton served as Donald Trump’s national security adviser during Trump’s first term before being fired in 2019.
After leaving the administration, Bolton emerged as one of Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics. In 2020, he published a memoir, The Room Where It Happened, in which he harshly criticized the president and called him unfit for office.
The Trump administration tried unsuccessfully to block the book’s release, arguing that it risked leaking classified information.
However, the plea deal reportedly relates to personal notes Bolton shared with relatives, rather than information disclosed in the memoir itself.
The investigation became public in 2025
The investigation drew public attention in August 2025, when FBI agents executed a search warrant at Bolton’s home and office in Maryland.
Bolton, known for his hawkish views on the US military and national security issues, became one of several prominent Trump critics to face prosecution during the president’s second administration.
If approved by the court, the plea deal would close the high-profile classified documents case while sparing Bolton the uncertainty of a lengthy trial.