Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton admitted guilt Friday to unlawfully retaining classified national defense information, accepting a plea deal that could send him to federal prison for up to five years and costs him $2.25 million in penalties.
From 18 Charges to One Guilty Plea
Bolton appeared before Judge Theodore D. Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland, for re-arraignment on charges stemming from his service as White House national security adviser between April 2018 and September 2019. Federal prosecutors originally indicted Bolton in October 2025 on 18 counts—eight for transmitting national defense information and ten for retaining it. He pleaded guilty to a single count of unauthorized retention, with sentencing scheduled for October 28.
The Justice Department accused Bolton of including highly sensitive classified information, some marked Top Secret, in personal diary entries. Prosecutors said he transmitted these documents to two family members through private email accounts and a messaging platform. Bolton also failed to disclose that his personal email account contained national defense information after Iranian cyber actors hacked it following his September 2019 departure from the White House.
Trump and DOJ React
President Trump attacked his former adviser on Truth Social Friday night, calling Bolton a terrible person and lunatic who pushed for unnecessary wars and destruction. Trump added he hoped Bolton would be dealt with harshly. Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, defended the plea agreement, stating his client took responsibility for mistakes and saved government resources that would have exposed additional sensitive information during a trial.
Hayden O’Byrne, acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s national security division, warned the plea should send a clear message to public officials entrusted with classified information. He emphasized the Department of Justice will investigate and prosecute anyone who willfully mishandles state secrets to the fullest extent of the law.
Part of Broader Pattern
Bolton became the third Trump critic indicted by the Justice Department last fall, following charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud and former FBI Director James Comey for lying to Congress. A federal judge dismissed charges against James, and the DOJ failed twice to re-indict her. The initial case against Comey was also dismissed, though he faced new charges in April for allegedly threatening Trump’s life by posting seashells on Instagram. Both James and Comey, scheduled for October trials, deny wrongdoing. The plea agreement requires Bolton to pay $2.25 million and exposes him to a maximum 60-month prison sentence when he appears for sentencing in late October.