Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is expected to plead guilty to a single criminal count related to the retention of classified national security documents, according to reports citing sources familiar with the case.
The reported plea agreement marks a dramatic development in a case that has been unfolding for years and involves one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent former advisers turned critics.
According to the report, Bolton intends to plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of national defense information. Sources told CNN that the agreement would also require Bolton to pay a $2 million fine.
Bolton, 77, was originally indicted on 18 counts related to the handling of classified information. Prosecutors alleged that he improperly retained and transmitted sensitive national security materials after leaving government service.
Court documents reportedly accused Bolton of maintaining more than 1,000 pages of notes detailing his day-to-day activities while serving in senior national security roles.
Investigators further alleged that he used a personal email account and messaging applications to share sensitive materials with unauthorized individuals. According to the report, those individuals included members of his family.
The original indictment included eight counts involving the transmission of national defense information and ten counts involving the retention of national defense information.
Under federal law, the charge Bolton is reportedly expected to plead guilty to carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison, though plea agreements frequently result in lesser penalties.
Bolton is scheduled to appear in court on June 26.
The case has attracted significant political attention because of Bolton’s highly public split with Trump.
Bolton served as national security adviser from 2018 until 2019 before departing the administration following policy disagreements involving Iran, North Korea and Afghanistan.
The relationship deteriorated further after Bolton published the memoir The Room Where It Happened in 2020.
The book offered a highly critical account of Trump’s presidency and sparked fierce condemnation from the White House.
At the time, Trump accused Bolton of improperly disclosing classified information and publicly argued that he should face criminal consequences, per the Daily Mail.
Federal investigations into Bolton’s handling of classified materials began during Trump’s first term. Those inquiries were later halted before being revived under the administration of President Joe Biden.
Notably, neither the charges nor the reported plea agreement allege wrongdoing connected to the publication of Bolton’s memoir itself.
Instead, prosecutors focused on the alleged retention and sharing of classified materials outside authorized government channels.
If finalized, the plea agreement would avoid a lengthy criminal trial while still resulting in a criminal conviction and substantial financial penalty.
The development represents one of the most significant legal setbacks Bolton has faced since leaving government and closes another chapter in the long-running feud between Trump and one of his most outspoken former national security advisers.
