Former National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton on Friday pleaded guilty in federal court to mishandling classified documents.
Bolton, a prominent foe of U.S. President Donald Trump, was indicted on 18 counts related to improper handling of classified material and initially pleaded not guilty.
He appeared in Greenbelt, Maryland, before Judge Theodore D. Chuang, an appointee of then-President Barack Obama.
The 77-year-old admitted to a single charge of illegal retention of classified information. The documents he retained included diary entries containing national defence information, some of it classified at the top secret level.
As part of the agreement, Bolton agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine.
Reuters reports Bolton must make half that payment within five days of sentencing and the full payment within 90 days of sentencing.
Bolton could face up to five years behind bars, though the plea deal may help him avoid time in prison.
After the judge read the allegations against Bolton in court on Friday, including about sending diary entries with sensitive information to his family members, Bolton said the accusations were accurate, CBS News reported.
“I did your honor,” Bolton confessed when asked about whether he committed the actions at hand today. He added he was “sorry for it.”
John Bolton, former US national security adviser, arrives at the U.S. district courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, US, on Friday, June 26, 2026. Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, pleaded guilty over mishandling classified documents. (Pete Kiehart/Bloomberg via Getty)
Bolton was fired from Trump’s first administration in 2019. His 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, recounted his time working under the Republican president.
He claimed – without offering evidence – Trump sought “retribution” against him during his first term in the White House and continued after he tried to block publication of his book before the 2020 election.
More to come…
