John Bolton pleads guilty to retaining classified national defense information

Former national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty June 26 to one count of retaining national defense information, resolving an 18-count indictment that accused him of mishandling sensitive material after leaving the White House.

Bolton entered the plea in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, before U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee, FOX News reported. Bolton served as national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019 under President Donald Trump and has since become a frequent critic of the President. 

According to U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who spoke to reporters outside the courthouse, Bolton faces up to five years in prison and agreed to pay a fine of $2.25 million under the plea agreement. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 28. 

Hayes said that the national defense information at issue included material classified at the highest levels. As one example, she cited material that reportedly included intelligence about an adversary’s plans for an attack on U.S. forces overseas, human intelligence involving sensitive sources and methods, and information about a covert action program.

“The rules governing classified and national defense information apply equally to everyone, regardless of position, and regardless of how long you have served with the United States government,” Hayes said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on X that the FBI’s investigation proved that Bolton “knowingly transmitted top secret information using personal online accounts and retained said documents in his house - all in direct violation of federal law.” 

“Despite an onslaught of false claims by the fake news stating this case was ‘retribution,’ this investigation was based on meticulous work from dedicated professionals at the FBI who followed the facts without fear or favor — and Bolton chose to admit his guilt and pled guilty,” Patel added.

In August 2025, the FBI searched Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office. A federal grand jury indicted him in October 2025 on charges of unlawfully transmitting and retaining classified documents. That indictment accused Bolton of sending more than a thousand pages of highly sensitive classified information in “diary-like” entries to two family members in preparation for a potential book.