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