John Bolton Agrees to Plea Deal in Classified Information Case

Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the US Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes from his time in government that officials say he shared with his family members as he was preparing a memoir about his time in office.

Under the agreement, Bolton would also face a US$2.25 million fine, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that had not been made public.

Any prison sentence would be capped at five years, but the agreement allows for him to avoid time behind bars, though the punishment will ultimately be up to a judge.

The case against Bolton, filed weeks after prosecutors secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, unfolded against the backdrop of concerns that the Justice Department was using its law enforcement powers to pursue perceived adversaries of US President Donald Trump.

The investigation burst into public view last August when FBI agents served search warrants at his Maryland home and Washington office, but it had been well under way by the time Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.