John Bolton, the former US national security adviser under President Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to unlawfully retaining classified information, bringing to a close a long-running investigation linked to notes he kept while preparing his memoir.
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Bolton, who has become one of Trump's most outspoken Republican critics since leaving the White House, originally faced 18 charges over the alleged mishandling of classified material. On Friday, however, he admitted a single count of illegally retaining classified information as part of a plea agreement.
Guilty plea and penalties
The charge relates to diary entries containing national defence information, including material classified at the top-secret level. Prosecutors said Bolton could face up to five years in prison and has agreed to pay fines totalling $2.25 million (£1.7 million).
As part of the agreement, Bolton will also debrief national security officials on the classified information he retained and complete 100 hours of community service, according to CBS News. He is due to be sentenced on 28 October.
During the hearing, the judge outlined allegations that Bolton had shared diary entries containing sensitive information with family members. Asked whether the allegations were true, Bolton replied: "I did, your honour," before adding that he was "sorry for it."
Prosecutors and defence respond
US Attorney Kelly Hayes said Bolton fully understood the rules governing classified information because of his senior government positions.
"He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information," Hayes said. "Nevertheless, as Mr Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law."
Bolton's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said his client accepted responsibility and avoided a prolonged trial that could have exposed additional classified information.
Lowell contrasted Bolton's actions with Trump's handling of classified documents, arguing the president had never accepted responsibility over the separate criminal case brought against him in 2023. That case was later dismissed after Trump returned to office.
Following the plea, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he hoped Bolton would be "dealt with harshly".
Long-running investigation
Bolton served as Trump's national security adviser until his dismissal in 2019. His 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, offered a highly critical account of the Trump administration.
The White House unsuccessfully sought to block publication, arguing the manuscript contained classified information that had not been properly reviewed. Although the book was published, the Justice Department later launched an investigation into whether Bolton had improperly disclosed classified material.
Prosecutors also accused Bolton of sending some classified documents from his time in office to two relatives. The indictment further alleged that a hacker briefly gained access to an online account where some of the documents were stored and issued a threat referencing Hillary Clinton's email controversy.
Rare prosecution
Bolton's indictment came amid several criminal cases involving critics of Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. However, former federal prosecutors told the BBC that Bolton's case differed because of the strength of the evidence and his admission of wrongdoing.
A person familiar with the plea agreement said Bolton also wanted to avoid a trial that might require the disclosure of additional classified information.
Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said prosecutions involving classified information are uncommon but not unprecedented, noting that both junior and senior government officials have faced similar cases.
Before joining the Trump administration, Bolton served as US ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. He also lost his Secret Service protection earlier this year after Trump returned to office.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 27 June 2026