Ex-Trump adviser Bolton to plead guilty in classified documents case, faces US$2.25 million fine

05 Jun 2026 02:22AM

(Updated: 05 Jun 2026 02:29AM)

WASHINGTON: John Bolton, a prominent critic of US President Donald Trump who once served as his national security adviser, plans to plead guilty to mishandling classified documents and will pay a US$2.25 million fine as part of a deal with federal prosecutors, three sources said on Thursday (Jun 4).

Bolton will plead guilty to one count of retaining classified information based on diary entries detailing his work in Trump's first term at a court hearing on Jun 26, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe an agreement that had not yet been made public. The deal recommends a sentencing range of no prison time up to five years behind bars, two sources said.

A federal judge will determine the final sentence.

The news was first reported by CNN.

PATTERN OF PROSECUTIONS

The case against Bolton is one of several brought by Trump's Justice Department against prominent critics and adversaries of the president, dispensing with decades-long norms designed to insulate federal law enforcement from political pressures.

Bolton is accused of sharing sensitive information with two of his relatives for possible use in a book he was writing, including notes on intelligence briefings and meetings with senior government officials and foreign leaders. He pleaded not guilty to 18 criminal charges, which included both transmission and retention of national defense information, last year.

The Justice Department and a Bolton spokesperson declined to comment.

FROM ADVISER TO CRITIC

Bolton served as White House national security adviser during Trump's first term before emerging as one of the president's most vocal critics. He described Trump in a memoir as unfit to serve as president.

Two sources familiar with the plea agreement, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal alleges no wrongdoing with regard to Bolton's book, but that Bolton was acknowledging that he made a mistake. The Justice Department during Trump's first term unsuccessfully sought to block publication of Bolton's book, which criticized Trump's temperament and decision-making, alleging it contained classified information.

Unlike other cases brought against Trump critics, the Bolton investigation was started before Trump returned to office in 2025 and was brought with the backing of career federal prosecutors.

The Justice Department last year brought criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, two officials who had led investigations into Trump or his businesses. Those cases were later dismissed by a federal judge.

The DOJ has since brought a second set of charges against Comey. Other Trump critics have also found themselves under investigation, and Blanche is overseeing a wide-ranging probe seeking to establish that prior investigations of Trump amounted to a criminal conspiracy against him.

Source: Reuters/fs