Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton to Plead Guilty in Documents Case

John Bolton, the former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, is preparing to accept a plea deal in a legal case concerning the handling of classified documents. According to reports first published by CNN on Thursday, Bolton intends to plead guilty to a single count of illegal retention of sensitive national security documents. As part of the agreement, he has agreed to pay a fine exceeding $2 million.

The move follows an indictment by the United States Department of Justice in October 2025. Bolton was charged under the Espionage Act with 18 counts related to the alleged mishandling and sharing of classified information. The charges stemmed from allegations that Bolton sent over 1,000 pages of diary-like entries to two relatives, some of which contained material classified as top secret. Investigators also alleged that Bolton failed to provide full details regarding a cyberattack that involved the hacking of his personal email account, which potentially exposed classified data.

Bolton has consistently maintained that he fully notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the security breach. He has also pointed out that the charges were not filed before President Trump returned to office on 20 January 2025, despite prior reviews of the incident. Bolton pleaded not guilty when he was first arraigned on 17 October 2025. Al Jazeera could not immediately confirm the specific details of the plea arrangement at the time of reporting.

The case has unfolded against a backdrop of heightened political tension between Bolton and the Trump administration. Bolton, who served as national security adviser from 2018 to 2019, has emerged as a vocal critic of the president. His 2020 memoir detailed his time in the White House, portraying Trump as unfit for office and lacking knowledge of world affairs. The former official has also criticised Trump’s handling of the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on 28 February.

Legal experts have noted the broader context of the administration’s approach to political adversaries. While indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James were dropped in November due to constitutional issues with the prosecutor’s appointment, Comey was indicted again in April over a social media post. Critics have argued that the Trump administration is using legal mechanisms to pursue retribution against perceived rivals, a claim Trump has supported by publicly calling for the prosecution of his critics.