Ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton, who once served in President Donald Trump’s White House but later turned against him, has appeared in court to answer to a charge of retaining classified information.
The Daily Mail reported with his guilty plea Bolton admitted “to stealing national security secrets.”
“Under the terms of the deal, Bolton could serve up to 60 months, or 5 years, in prison in exchange for his guilty plea. He may also be required to pay a fine of up to $2.25 million and serve 100 hours of community service,” the report said.
Prosecutors charged he “abused his position of trust” and shared some 1,000 pages of classified information with his wife and daughter in the form of “diaries.”
He then kept documents at his home after leaving the White House, they charged.
Bolton pleaded guilty to one count, retaining national intelligence information, after having been indicted on 18 charges.
An earlier not guilty plea had been accompanied by his accusation that he was just another target of the political weaponization at the Department of Justice.
The investigation got under way during the Joe Biden administration.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly Hayes said, “As Mr. Bolton admitted, he shared more than 1,000 pages of information about his day-to-day activities as the National Security Advisor, including information related to the national defense, with two individuals who neither had the security clearances nor the need to know that information.
“The document in Count 12, for example, revealed intelligence about an adversary’s plans for an attack conducted against US forces in another country,’ she added. “It contained human intelligence using sensitive sources and methods, and it discussed a covert action program.”
Trump has blasted Bolton as “not a smart guy.”
WND had reported when Bolton reached the plea deal in his case. His agreement was to plead guilty to a single count.
🚨 JOHN BOLTON to plead GUILTY to illegally retaining classified documents
He and his mustache will have to pay a $2.25 MILLION, and faces up to 60 MONTHS in prison
This traitor is getting what he deserves. pic.twitter.com/Eie3R0Yjlj
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 4, 2026
BREAKING: John Bolton is set to plead guilty over his mishandling of classified documents.
The former Trump national security adviser will plead guilty to retaining classified information after his home and office were raided last year on August 22. pic.twitter.com/RPmUBgJ9PM
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 4, 2026
Bolton famously took issue with Trump administration work regarding North Korea and Afghanistan, and summarily was fired over those disputes.
He quickly assembled a tell-all book about his work in the Trump administration, turning highly critical of the president.
🚨 BREAKING — IT’S OFFICIAL: John Bolton is now a FELON after pleading GUILTY to unlawful retention of national defense information
He and his mustache have agreed to pay a $2.25 MILLION fine, face up to 60 MONTHS in prison, and forfeit his pension.
“As Mr. Bolton just… pic.twitter.com/Yf5SwD3sWJ
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 26, 2026
BREAKING: President Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton is pleading guilty to 1 of the 18 counts against him in his classified documents case, facing a possible 5-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $2.25 million. pic.twitter.com/fr6WhHhGzA
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 26, 2026
