Former Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty in explosive classified documents case

Bolton has reached a tentative agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to one count related to illegally retaining classified national security information, CNN reported.

Court documents reviewed by multiple media outlets show that Bolton is scheduled to appear in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on June 26 to formally enter a new plea in the case.

this Ministry of Justice Charges against Bolton were originally filed in October 2025 as part of a series of indictments involving Trump critics and former officials. The plea deal could include up to 60 months in prison and a fine of more than $2 million, CNBC reported.

Also read: Is John Bolton a Republican or a Democrat? All you need to know about the political stance of the former Trump NSA

The indictment alleges that Bolton retained more than 1,000 pages of records of his activities while serving as Trump’s national security adviser from 2018 to 2019. Some of the material is said to contain top secret/SCI level information.

Authorities further claimed that the information was shared with two relatives who did not have security clearance. CNBC cited people familiar with the matter as saying that these people were Bolton’s wife and daughter.

As part of the investigation, FBI Agents reportedly searched Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, and his office in Washington, D.C., in August 2025.

Also read: Why is Trump’s friend-turned-enemy John Bolton facing prosecution?

Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019, before a highly publicized feud between the two men ensued. After leaving office, Bolton became increasingly critical of Trump and later released a memoir detailing conflicts within the administration.

Trump publicly claimed at the time that he was unaware of the accusations against Bolton, although he also described his former adviser as a “bad guy,” The Guardian reported.