Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jun 4: Former US national security adviser John Bolton is expected to plead guilty to a charge related to the retention of classified documents, according to multiple media reports citing sources familiar with the matter.
Bolton, who served in the administration of US President Donald Trump before becoming one of his most outspoken critics, is reportedly set to plead guilty to a single count of illegal retention of sensitive national security information. He has also agreed to pay a fine of approximately $2.25 million as part of the plea arrangement.
A change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for Jun 26 in a federal court in Maryland. Under the charge, Bolton could face a prison sentence of up to five years, though reports suggest the agreement could allow him to avoid jail time.
Bolton was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2025 on 18 counts involving the alleged unlawful transmission and retention of classified information. Prosecutors accused him of sharing sensitive national security material, including diary-like notes from intelligence briefings and meetings with senior US and foreign officials, through a personal email account and retaining classified records after leaving government service.
According to court documents, investigators alleged that more than 1,000 pages of records detailing Bolton's activities during his tenure as national security adviser between 2018 and 2019 were shared with unauthorised individuals while he was preparing his memoir.
Bolton had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges and consistently denied unlawfully removing classified documents. He also maintained that no classified information was published in his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened.
The US Department of Justice has declined to comment on the reported plea deal, while Bolton's representatives have not publicly responded.
The case has drawn significant attention due to Bolton's long-running public feud with Trump following his departure from the administration and the publication of his highly critical memoir.