John Bolton, a national security adviser in the first Trump administration, is expected to enter a guilty plea Friday for mishandling classified information. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
John Bolton, a national security adviser in the first Trump administration, entered a guilty plea Friday for mishandling classified information.
Bolton pleaded guilty to one charge of illegally retaining classified information in a Federal District Court in Greenbelt, Md., The New York Times, CNN and NBC News report citing unnamed sources familiar with the case. The accusation stems from personal notes on classified information that he used to write a book about Donald Trump’s first presidency.
“I am your honor and I’m sorry for it,” Bolton said when asked if he was guilty.
The memoir, The Room Where It Happened, was published in 2020.
Bolton is not accused of retaining hard copies of original national security documents, unlike the classified documents case against President Donald Trump in 2023.
Bolton is however accused of transmitting government secrets in emails and sharing classified information with his wife and daughter.
In July 2021, Bolton notified the U.S. government that his emails had been hacked but neglected to share that the emails contained national defense secrets, the indictment against Bolton said.
Sharing sensitive national security information is a felony charge and carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Bolton was initially indicted on 18 charges. He was charged with 10 counts of illegally retaining national security information and eight counts of transmitting it.
As part of the plea agreement, Bolton must pay more than $2 million in fines.
Bolton has accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the Justice Department against political opponents. The case against Bolton is just one of several the Trump administration has pursued on political opponents but it is a rare case of a former ally facing criminal charges under the administration.
This week in Washington
President Donald Trump speaks at a rally to kick off the 16-day Great American State Fair as part of Washington’s celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday on the National Mall on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
