Chicago – June 26, 2026
John Bolton, the 77-year-old former National Security Adviser who served under President Donald Trump’s first administration and later emerged as one of his most vocal critics, pleaded guilty on Friday in a federal court in Maryland to a single count of illegally retaining classified national defense information.
The plea deal, reached with federal prosecutors, includes a fine of $2.25 million and carries a potential prison sentence ranging from no time served to up to five years — with the final sentencing decision resting with the presiding judge. Bolton is currently 77 years old, and his agreement may allow him to avoid incarceration entirely, though no guarantees have been made
Court documents reveal that Bolton had stored classified materials in diaries on a personal computer at his Bethesda, Maryland home, as well as in his Washington, D.C. office, between April 2018 and August 2025. Prosecutors described this as a consistent pattern of mishandling sensitive government information.
The Justice Department had originally filed charges against Bolton in 2025. Bolton served as Trump’s National Security Adviser before departing from the administration and subsequently becoming a sharp critic of the president.
