John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during President Donald Trump’s first administration, has agreed to plead guilty to a single charge involving the retention of classified information, according to a person familiar with the matter. The agreement with the Justice Department could enable Bolton to avoid serving prison time.

The plea arrangement would bring to a close a criminal prosecution that began in October, when Bolton was charged with 18 counts tied to either keeping or sharing classified material. Prosecutors alleged that the case centered in part on diary-style notes from his government service that he provided to family members while preparing a memoir about his time in office.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bolton would also be required to pay a $2.25 million fine, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been publicly disclosed. While any prison sentence would be limited to a maximum of five years, the agreement leaves open the possibility that he will receive no incarceration at all. The ultimate sentence will be determined by a judge.

The case unfolded amid accusations from critics that the Justice Department was using prosecutorial authority against individuals viewed as adversaries of President Trump. The charges against Bolton were filed just weeks after indictments were secured against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Although the public first learned of the investigation last August, when FBI agents executed search warrants at Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington office, the inquiry had already been underway before Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

A longtime figure in Republican foreign policy circles, Bolton built a reputation as a staunch advocate of aggressive American foreign policy. He served in the Trump administration for a little over a year before being dismissed in 2019. After leaving government, he published a book highly critical of Trump, portraying the president as poorly informed and casting his leadership and decision-making in a negative light.

The Trump administration unsuccessfully sought to prevent the release of Bolton’s memoir, “The Room Where it Happened,” arguing that it contained classified information. The plea agreement, however, concerns notes Bolton allegedly shared with family members rather than anything that appeared in the book.

A rearraignment hearing, often a sign that a plea agreement has been reached, is scheduled for June 26 in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the matter.

Had Bolton been convicted on all 18 counts in the indictment, he could have faced a lengthy prison sentence.

Prosecutors Say Bolton Shared Sensitive Information with Relatives

According to court filings, Bolton provided two family members with “diary-like” documents containing classified information, including material classified at the top-secret level. Prosecutors say the information came from intelligence briefings, meetings with U.S. officials, and conversations with foreign leaders.

After sending one such document, Bolton allegedly warned his relatives, “None of which we talk about!!!” Prosecutors said one family member responded, “Shhhhh.”

The indictment alleges that some of the information involved foreign adversaries and revealed intelligence-gathering methods used by the United States. One document reportedly discussed a planned missile launch by a foreign adversary, while another outlined covert U.S. government operations and included intelligence assessments blaming an adversary for an attack.

Following his indictment, Bolton issued a statement accusing Trump of conducting an “intensive effort” by Trump to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct.”

Bolton’s government service stretches back decades. He worked in the Justice Department during President Ronald Reagan’s administration and later served as the State Department’s lead official on arms-control matters under President George W. Bush.

Bush nominated Bolton to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but he failed to secure Senate confirmation. He ultimately served for 17 months through a recess appointment, which allowed him to hold the post temporarily without Senate approval.

Foreign Policy Disputes Led to Split with Trump

Bolton became Trump’s third national security adviser in 2018. His tenure was marked by disagreements with the president on major foreign policy issues, including Iran, North Korea, and Ukraine.

Those clashes eventually brought his time in the administration to an end. In September 2019, Trump announced on social media that he had accepted Bolton’s resignation.

After leaving office, Bolton sharply criticized Trump’s handling of foreign policy and government affairs. In his memoir, he alleged that Trump linked military assistance to Ukraine to the country’s willingness to investigate Joe Biden, then preparing to challenge Trump in the 2020 election, as well as members of the Biden family.

Trump responded by denouncing Bolton as a “washed-up guy” and a “crazy” warmonger who would have led the country into “World War Six.”15

{Matzav.com}