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John Bolton will reportedly plead guilty over mishandling classified documents
The Guardian
The Guardian··1 min read

John Bolton will reportedly plead guilty over mishandling classified documents

John Bolton, the former US national security adviser who left Donald Trump’s first administration and became a staunch critic of the US president, will reportedly plead guilty over mishandling classified documents.

The US Department of Justice filed federal charges against Bolton in October 2025, one of a string of Trump critics against whom it secured criminal charges in a matter of weeks.

Trump claimed at the time he was not aware of charges against Bolton, but that his former adviser was a “bad guy”.

Bolton intends to plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of sensitive national security documents and has also agreed to pay a more than $2m fine, CNN was first to report on Thursday. AP and the New York Times also reported that Bolton had reached a provisional deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to mishandling classified information.

Court records showed that Bolton will appear in court to enter a new plea in the case on 26 June.

More details soon …

View original source — The Guardian