AP report: Ex-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case

By — Eric Tucker, Associated Press Eric Tucker, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-report-ex-national-security-adviser-john-bolton-will-plead-guilty-in-classified-information-case Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter AP report: Ex-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case Politics Jun 4, 2026 12:06 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes from his time in government that officials say he shared with his family members as he was preparing a memoir about his time in office. READ MORE: What to know about the federal charges against John Bolton Under the agreement, Bolton would also face a $2.25 million fine, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that had not been made public. Any prison sentence would be capped at five years, but the agreement allows for him to avoid time behind bars, though the punishment will ultimately be up to a judge. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. The case against Bolton, filed weeks after prosecutors secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, unfolded against the backdrop of concerns that the Justice Department was using its law enforcement powers to pursue perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump. The investigation burst into public view last August when FBI agents served search warrants at his Maryland hone and Washington office, but it had been well underway by the time Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Bolton is a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles who became known for his hawkish views on American power. He served for more than a year in Trump's first administration before being fired in 2019 and publishing a critical book that portrayed the Republican president as deeply misinformed and painted an unflattering portrait of his leadership and decision-making. READ MORE: Bolton pleads not guilty to federal charges in classified information case Trump's administration fought unsuccessfully to block the publication of "The Room Where it Happened" on the grounds that the book risked disclosing classified information. The plea deal that Bolton will enter covers the notes he shared with relatives as opposed to information published in the tell-all book. A rearraignment, which typically signals a plea agreement, is scheduled for June 26 i