Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton pleaded guilty Friday to a single federal charge involving the unauthorized possession of classified national defense information as part of a plea agreement that resolves a broader criminal case against him.
Bolton entered his guilty plea during a hearing in federal district court in Greenbelt, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to Count 12 of an 18-count indictment, which charged him with unauthorized possession of a document related to the national defense.
The offense carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. However, prosecutors and Bolton agreed under the terms of the plea agreement that any prison sentence imposed cannot exceed five years.
Judge Theodore Chuang did not immediately sentence Bolton. Under federal procedures, the court has up to 90 days to determine an appropriate sentence after reviewing a presentence investigation report.
According to prosecutors, the plea agreement also requires Bolton to pay a $2.25 million fine, with half of that amount due within five days. He must also complete a debriefing with a U.S. intelligence committee, serve three years of supervised release, perform up to 100 hours of community service, and forfeit any federal annuity or retirement benefits earned through his government service.
Bolton additionally agreed to complete 100 hours of work aimed at remediating the improper disclosure of classified information.
By entering the plea agreement, Bolton waived his right to appeal both his conviction and any sentence imposed by the court. He retains the ability to withdraw his guilty plea before sentencing is finalized.
Judge Chuang advised Bolton that the court is not required to impose a sentence within the recommended federal sentencing guidelines and may consider a variety of statutory factors before determining punishment.
Federal authorities first searched Bolton’s home and office in August 2025. He was indicted two months later on charges alleging the unlawful transmission and retention of classified documents.
According to the indictment, investigators alleged Bolton improperly retained documents containing highly sensitive national defense information, including intelligence regarding anticipated attacks by a foreign adversary, information provided by an allied intelligence partner, and intelligence related to a planned foreign missile launch.
Prosecutors said many of the documents were marked “TOP SECRET.”
The indictment also alleged that between April 2018 and August 2025, Bolton improperly shared more than 1,000 pages documenting his activities as National Security Advisor with two unauthorized individuals. Prosecutors alleged the materials included information classified up to the TOP SECRET/Sensitive Compartmented Information level.
In addition, prosecutors alleged Bolton unlawfully retained classified documents, notes and writings containing national defense information at his home in Montgomery County, Maryland, per Trending Politics.
Bolton served as President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor from April 2018 until September 2019. His departure from the administration was marked by public disagreement over whether he resigned or was dismissed, with Trump stating he fired Bolton over policy disagreements while Bolton maintained he had offered his resignation.
Friday’s guilty plea resolves one count of the indictment while avoiding a trial on the remaining charges. Sentencing is expected later this year, when the court will determine the final penalties under the terms of the plea agreement.
