John Bolton Pleads Guilty In Classified Documents Case

President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty Friday to one of 18 counts against him pertaining to his handling of classified documents.

The plea agreement could help Bolton, who has since become a vocal critic of the commander-in-chief, avoid prison time, according to the Associated Press. His sentencing is scheduled for October 28.

The ex-federal official faces up to 60 months behind bars, according to NBC News. He has also agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine while forfeiting his pension.

The plea agreement, however, recommends a prison sentence that doesn’t exceed five years.

Bolton is accused of retaining information that was “classified at the highest classification levels,” U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes said during a press conference following Friday’s hearing.

The document at the center of his guilty plea “revealed intelligence about an adversary’s plans for an attack conducted against U.S. forces” serving overseas, “human intelligence using sensitive sources and methods,” and “a covert action program,” Hayes said. In total, Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of information related to his role as national security adviser.

“As national security adviser to the president of the United States, Mr. Bolton had access to and was responsible for safeguarding the most sensitive national defense information, including classified material. Mr. Bolton knew how to handle classified information, where it should be stored, how it should be stored, and with whom he could share that information,” Hayes said.

“He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information. Nevertheless, as Mr. Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law,” she added.

Some of the classified information was contained in diary entries that Bolton shared with relatives while authoring a memoir, according to the AP. The indictment centered on notes Bolton shared with his wife and daughter.

In sending one message containing classified information, Bolton wrote to his family members, “None of which we talk about!!!,” according to the AP, which cited prosecutors’ allegations. A relative then responded, “Shhhhh.”

The federal government began investigating Bolton before Trump’s return to the White House. The FBI searched Bolton’s home in Maryland in August 2025.