Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has reached an agreement with the Justice Department to plead guilty to a single felony count of unauthorized retention of classified national security information – resolving a criminal case that accused him of improperly handling sensitive government records after leaving office.
The newly struck plea agreement, which is expected to be entered in federal court in Maryland on June 26, includes a $2.25 million fine and carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years – though U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang retains final authority over the ultimate sentence during the June 26 re-arraignment hearing.
An 18-count federal indictment returned by a Maryland grand jury in October 2025 charged Bolton with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of retaining it – alleging that Bolton unlawfully retained and classified information, including diary-style notes documenting intelligence briefings, meetings with senior U.S. officials and discussions with foreign leaders during his time in the White House. Prosecutors alleged that some of the material, classified up to the top-secret level, was shared with family members while Bolton was preparing his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened. Each of those original felony charges carried a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years behind bars.
Federal authorities contended that the records contained highly sensitive intelligence, including information about foreign adversaries, missile-related intelligence and covert U.S. operations. The plea agreement reportedly addresses Bolton’s retention of government records and personal notes rather than the contents ultimately published in his book.
Bolton, a veteran diplomat who previously held roles in the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations, served as national security adviser from 2018 until his dismissal in September 2019. He subsequently emerged as an outspoken conservative critic of the administration. Following his indictment last year, which followed similar federal actions against other political figures, Bolton characterized the judicial proceedings as a weaponized effort to “intimidate his opponents.” Sources close to the case indicate that Bolton now intends to formally accept responsibility to conclude the protracted legal battle.
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