John Bolton, former national security adviser under President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty Friday to one felony count of illegal retention of national security information. The plea was entered in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, before U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang.
Bolton changed his plea to guilty with respect to count 12 of his indictment, having previously faced 18 counts related to allegedly sharing notes with his wife and daughter that contained information classified as high as Top Secret. He answered questions from Judge Chuang, acknowledging his rights and confirming his voluntary decision to plead guilty to the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. "I am, your honor, I'm sorry for it," Bolton told the judge when asked if he was pleading guilty because he is guilty.
According to the terms of a plea agreement outlined by prosecutors, the government will not seek a sentence exceeding 60 months. Bolton has also agreed to forfeit approximately $2.2 million to resolve the case. Additionally, he is set to serve 100 hours of community service and will forfeit any retirement pay associated with his federal service. Judge Chuang retains ultimate discretion over sentencing.
The count to which Bolton pleaded guilty involves the retention of classified national security information in diaries. Bolton is expected to maintain that he did not remove documents with classification markings from government offices. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland in October 2025, facing charges that he unlawfully transmitted and retained classified documents. Prosecutors had accused him of using a non-government personal email account and messaging application to transmit at least eight documents classified from "secret" to "top secret" to two unauthorized family members.