John Bolton, former US national security adviser under Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, to one count of illegally retaining classified information before US District Judge Theodore D. Chuang in Maryland [1, 2, 3]. The 77-year-old admitted keeping more than 1,000 pages of diary-like notes with national defense and sensitive intelligence data during 2018-2019, which he shared with two relatives for material in his 2020 memoir, "The Room Where It Happened" [1, 3, 4, 5].
Bolton was originally indicted in October 2025 on 18 counts related to mishandling classified documents but had pleaded not guilty at that time [1, 6, 7, 8]. As part of his plea deal, Bolton agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine and perform 100 hours of community service [1, 2, 3]. He also forfeits his government pension and will participate in security debriefings [3].
The plea deal allows Bolton to avoid prison time, though he faces up to five years in jail under the original charges. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2026, at the US District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland [1, 2, 3].
The investigation began before Donald Trump's second presidential term started in 2025 and was handled by career federal prosecutors [6, 9]. FBI agents raided Bolton's home and office on August 22, 2025 [7, 8]. Federal prosecutors accused Bolton of putting national security at risk. US Attorney Kelly Hayes said, "He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information. Nevertheless, as Mr Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law" [1].
Bolton acknowledged his actions in court, saying simply, "I did your honor," and that he was "sorry for it" [1, 3]. His lawyer Abbe Lowell called Bolton a "real leader" for taking responsibility, contrasting him with Trump, who "thumbed his nose at the classified information laws" and has "never accepted any accountability for his conduct" [1, 3].
Separately, Bolton’s email account used to send the classified notes was hacked by an actor believed linked to Iran, raising further national security concerns [3, 4].
Bolton’s sentencing hearing on October 28 will determine his punishment following the guilty plea and agreed fine, community service, and security debriefings [1, 2, 3].
