Former National Security Adviser John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Illegally Retaining Classified Information

Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally retaining classified information, reaching an agreement with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid serving time in prison.

Bolton is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28 by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland.

He pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawfully retaining classified information. Under the plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Bolton may avoid incarceration, although the final decision on his sentence rests with the judge.

The agreement recommends capping any prison term at five years, but the judge is not required to follow that recommendation. Bolton would be permitted to withdraw his guilty plea if the court imposes a sentence exceeding five years in prison or a fine greater than $2.25 million.

Federal prosecutors had originally charged Bolton with 18 counts in October, alleging that he unlawfully retained or disseminated classified information, including diary-like notes that he shared with relatives while writing his memoir.

According to court filings, after sending one document to family members, Bolton wrote, “None of which we talk about!!!” One relative reportedly replied, “Shhhhh.”

The investigation began before Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. The FBI searched Bolton’s Maryland home and his Washington office in August as part of the inquiry.

Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser until 2019 before becoming one of the president’s outspoken critics. He later published his memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which portrayed Trump’s leadership in an unfavorable light. The Trump administration unsuccessfully attempted to block the book’s publication, arguing that it contained classified information that could harm national security.

Notably, the criminal case focused primarily on classified notes Bolton allegedly shared with his wife and daughter, rather than on the contents of his published memoir.