Ex-Trump NSA John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling classified documents

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton has pleaded guilty to illegally retaining classified information. The plea deal could spare him prison, but his fate now rests with the judge in October.

In Short

• Judge Theodore Chuang will sentence Bolton in Maryland on October 28
• Bolton may withdraw his plea if punishment exceeds agreed limits
• Prosecutors had earlier charged him with 18 counts last October

Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton on Friday pleaded guilty to illegally retaining classified information, in a deal with federal prosecutors that could help him avoid a prison term. He is due to be sentenced on October 28 by US District Judge Theodore Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Bolton, who later became a sharp critic of President Donald Trump after serving in his first administration, pleaded guilty to a single count. His agreement with the Justice Department recommends that any prison sentence be capped at five years, though the final decision will rest with the judge.

Under the plea agreement, Bolton can withdraw his guilty plea if the judge imposes a prison term longer than five years or a fine of more than USD 2.25 million. Bolton had been charged in October last year with 18 counts of either retaining or sharing classified information, including diary-like notes that he shared with relatives while writing a memoir about his time in government.

Federal investigators searched Bolton's home in Maryland and his office in Washington, DC, last August, although the investigation had begun before Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. While other Trump opponents have faced federal criminal charges during his second term, and some of those cases have later fallen apart under court scrutiny and amid allegations of political retaliation, Bolton did not put up a strong defence before reaching an agreement with prosecutors.

Bolton served for more than a year in Trump's first administration before leaving in 2019. He later published The Room Where It Happened, a memoir that painted an unflattering picture of Trump's leadership. The Trump administration tried unsuccessfully to stop the book's release, saying it contained classified material that could harm national security. Trump, in turn, called Bolton a "crazy" warmonger who would have taken the country into "World War Six".

The case against Bolton centred on notes he shared with his wife and daughter, rather than on the contents of his book. Prosecutors said that after sending one document, Bolton messaged his relatives, "None of which we talk about!!!" One of them replied, "Shhhhh,". The plea brings the case to a crucial stage, with Bolton now awaiting sentencing in October.

With PTI Inputs

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