John Bolton, the former national security adviser to Donald Trump, has reportedly struck a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department, agreeing to plead guilty to a single charge of retaining classified information.
Bolton, who held his position for a year during Trump’s presidency before being dismissed, has since become a vocal critic of the former president.
This agreement could potentially enable Bolton to avoid incarceration, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The plea deal addresses a criminal case initiated in October, where Bolton faced 18 charges related to the retention and dissemination of classified information. This included notes he documented during his time in office, which officials claim he shared with family members while preparing to write a memoir.
As part of the plea arrangement, Bolton is expected to incur a fine of $2.25 million. Although any prison sentence could reach up to five years, the terms of the deal may allow him to evade jail time, with a final decision resting with a judge.
The case against Bolton emerged shortly after prosecutors secured indictments against other notable figures, raising concerns about the Justice Department’s use of its authority to target opponents of President Trump.
The investigation gained public attention in August when FBI agents executed search warrants at Bolton’s residences in Maryland and Washington, D.C., although the inquiry had been ongoing prior to Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025.
Bolton is recognized as a significant figure in conservative foreign policy discussions, known for his assertive stance on American global influence. After his dismissal in 2019, he published a critical book that depicted Trump as poorly informed and offered a negative assessment of his leadership style.
Trump’s administration attempted to prevent the release of Bolton’s book, arguing it could divulge classified details. However, the plea deal pertains to the notes shared with family members, not the material disclosed in the book.
A re-arraignment, which often indicates the acceptance of a plea agreement, is slated for June 26 at a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Justice Department has chosen not to comment on the matter.
The indictment outlined serious allegations against Bolton, including the unauthorized sharing of highly classified entries that he had gathered from various governmental meetings, intelligence briefings, and discussions with foreign leaders.
In one instance, he reportedly communicated to relatives, “None of which we talk about!!!” after sharing a document, to which a family member responded with “Shhhhh,” according to prosecutors.
The shared materials included sensitive information about foreign adversaries, with some documents revealing methods and sources used by U.S. intelligence. Notably, one document detailed a foreign adversary’s missile launch plans, while another discussed covert U.S. government actions and implicated an adversary in an attack.
Following his indictment, Bolton characterized the charges as part of a broader strategy by Trump to intimidate his critics and control the narrative regarding his conduct.
Bolton has a history of serving in various governmental roles, including during Ronald Reagan’s presidency at the Department of Justice and as a key arms control official under George W. Bush. Although nominated by Bush to be the U.N. ambassador, he did not secure Senate confirmation due to his strong support for the Iraq War, eventually resigning after serving 17 months under a recess appointment.
In 2018, he was appointed as Trump’s third national security adviser, a tenure marked by disagreements over policies concerning North Korea, Iran, and Ukraine, leading to his resignation in September 2019.
Bolton has been critical of Trump’s foreign policy decisions, particularly accusing Trump of linking military aid to Ukraine with demands for investigations into Joe Biden and his family, who were set to become Trump’s opponents in the 2020 presidential election. Trump’s response to Bolton’s criticisms included derogatory remarks, labeling him a “washed-up guy” and a “crazy” warmonger.
