John Bolton, former Trump national security adviser, pleads guilty in classified documents case

Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton leaves federal court in October 2025 in Greenbelt, Md. Alex Kent/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alex Kent/Getty Images John Bolton , a former national security adviser to President Trump who became a staunch critic, pleaded guilty Friday for mishandling classified information. Bolton, wearing a dark suit, stood before U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang at the federal district court in Greenbelt, Md., outside Washington, D.C. He solemnly entered his plea, agreeing with federal prosecutors' summary of his actions. "And I am sorry for it," he told the court. Under the plea agreement, Bolton could serve up to five years in federal prison and would have to pay a fine of $2.25 million — half of which would have to be paid within five days of his sentencing. He will also forgo any retirement benefits related to his work with the government, for himself or his family. Judge Chuang, an appointee of President Barack Obama, scheduled a sentencing hearing on Oct. 28. Bolton was released and allowed to return home in the meantime. He was indicted last October on 18 criminal counts for retention and transmission of national defense information. Had he gone to trial, he would have faced several years in prison. In court Friday, Bolton confessed and pleaded guilty to just one of the 18 counts he was originally charged with: the retention of national defense information. "Today, Ambassador Bolton did what real leaders do. …