John Bolton, the former national security adviser who later became one of Donald Trump’s fiercest Republican critics, is reportedly preparing to plead guilty in a classified documents case that has drawn major political attention since last year.
According to CNN, Bolton has reached a provisional agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to one count tied to the unlawful retention of classified national security information.
Court filings reviewed by multiple outlets show Bolton is scheduled to appear in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on June 26 to formally enter a new plea in the case.
The Department of Justice originally charged Bolton in October 2025 as part of a series of prosecutions involving prominent Trump critics and former officials. According to CNBC, the plea agreement could include a prison sentence of up to 60 months along with a financial penalty of more than $2 million.
What investigators accused Bolton of
Federal prosecutors alleged that Bolton improperly retained and shared highly sensitive national defense material after leaving office.
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The indictment claimed Bolton kept more than 1,000 pages documenting his activities while serving as Trump’s national security adviser from 2018 to 2019. Some of the material allegedly contained information classified at the TOP SECRET/SCI level.
Authorities further alleged that the information was shared with two relatives who did not possess security clearances. CNBC, citing a source familiar with the matter, identified those individuals as Bolton’s wife and daughter.
As part of the investigation, FBI agents reportedly searched Bolton’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, and his office in Washington, DC, in August 2025.
Bolton had denied allegations after indictment
When the charges were first announced, Bolton denied wrongdoing and claimed he was being politically targeted because of his outspoken criticism of Trump following his White House exit.
Also Read: Why is John Bolton, Trump’s friend-turned-foe, facing indictment?
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 until September 2019 before a highly publicized fallout between the two men. Following his departure, Bolton became increasingly critical of Trump and later released a memoir detailing internal conflicts within the administration.
According to The Guardian, Trump publicly claimed at the time that he was unaware of the charges against Bolton, though he simultaneously described his former adviser as a “bad guy.”
