Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling classified information
Bolton served as White House national security adviser during Trump’s first term.
NBC
Bolton pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized retention of national defense information out of the 18 with which he was initially charged. He faces a prison sentence of up to 60 months and has agreed to pay $2.25 million, prosecutors said. He is set to be sentenced Oct. 28.
Bolton described the national security information that he retained as an electronic diary entry that he shared with two members of his family.
Bolton was originally indicted in October 2025, charged with eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of retention of national defense information.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and faced up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine per count, and three years of special release.
On Friday, Chuang reiterated the original counts in the case and asked if Bolton was only pleading guilty to count 12. “Yes, your honor,” Bolton said in court.