John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Keeping Classified Information

John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during US President Donald Trump's first term in office, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to one charge of illegally keeping classified information.

Theodore D. Chuang, a US district judge of the US District Court for the District of Maryland, is presiding over the case.

Bolton on guilty plea: 'I'm sorry for it'

"I'm sorry for it," Bolton told Judge Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland when pleading guilty to the charge. Bolton's attorney Abbe Lowell said Bolton "did what real leaders do" by pleading guilty.

Bolton, who is 77 years old, struck a plea deal with prosecutors which entails either no prison time or a shorter sentence than was originally expected.

When Bolton was indicted, prosecutors sought a possible 10-year prison sentence for Bolton and 18 charges. Under the plea deal, Bolton could face up to five years in prison or maybe none at all, depending on what the judge decides on the October 28 sentencing date.

Bolton must also pay a fine of $2.25 million (€1.98 million) under the plea deal.

In addition, Bolton will give up his government pension, do up to 100 hours of community service and debrief with officials in the intellgence community and US Department of Justice.

Bolton is accused of sharing classfied information with two "unauthorized individuals" — reportedly his wife and daughter. This information is believed to have been used in his tell-all book on his time in the first Trump administration: "The Room Where It Happened."

Kelly O. Hayes, the US attorney for the district of Maryland, said Bolton "put our national security at grave risk." Bolton's email was reportedly targeted by an Iranian hacker.

How Trump views Bolton: From 'tough cookie' to 'sleazebag'

Bolton was Trump's national security adviser from April 2018 until his resignation in September 2019. That resignation reportedly stemmed from Bolton's disagreement with the president on issues such as talks with the Afghan Taliban and negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Bolton had also served as the US ambassador to the UN during former President George W. Bush's time in office. He was an ardent supporter of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In the years after the Bush administration, Bolton was a frequent guest on US conservative broadcaster Fox News, where he likely caught Trump's eye. In 2015, Trump said he liked Bolton and referred to him as a "tough cookie."

However, following his departure from the Trump administration in 2018, Bolton criticized Trump's chaotic leadership style and affinity for autocratic leaders. Trump in return has called Bolton a "washed up creepster" and a "sleazebag."

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah