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John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Retaining Classified Information

John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Retaining Classified Information

John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during President Donald Trump's first term before becoming one of his most outspoken critics, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of retaining national defense information, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.

Under the agreement reached with federal prosecutors, Bolton will be arraigned on June 26, at which point a judge will have up to 90 days to render a sentence. He faces anywhere from probation to 60 months in prison, and has also agreed to pay $2.25 million in restitution.

The charge stems from an electronic diary entry Bolton shared with two family members that contained national security information, according to the sources.

Bolton was arrested in October and initially pleaded not guilty. A federal grand jury in Maryland indicted him that month on eight counts of transmitting national defense information and ten counts of unlawfully retaining it. His guilty plea covers one of those counts.

One source close to Bolton told NBC News that he changed his plea for the good of the country.


By: NBC Palm Springs

June 4, 2026

NBCJohn BoltonPresident TrumpFederal ChargesNational Defense
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John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Retaining Classified Information