John Bolton, former national security adviser for President Donald Trump, is expected to take a plea deal with the government in the case accusing him of mishandling classified documents, sources familiar with the matter told CNN Thursday.
Bolton, 77, is expected to plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of sensitive national security documents and pay a hefty fine of more than $2 million, CNN reported. He is expected to appear in Maryland federal court on June 26 for a rearraignment, court documents show.
The news of the plea deal comes approximately eight months after the Justice Department indicted Bolton on 18 counts related to mishandling classified information. Prosecutors allege that Bolton shared “diary” notes with his family that contained sensitive information from his time as national security adviser.
Bolton pleaded not guilty to all counts and accused the president of “weaponizing” the DOJ to charge his enemies with crimes.
The Independent has asked Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, for comment.
Bolton is among the current or former officials whom Trump has identified as targets of his administration.
Though Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term, the two had a falling out after Trump fired Bolton in 2019 over differences on foreign policy. Since then, Bolton has become an outspoken critic of the president, claiming his former boss was “unfit” to be president and subscribes to “chaos as a way of life.”
Most recently, in April, Bolton criticized Trump’s handling of the Iran war, speculating that the president was “probably back in a panic mode” after two U.S. warplanes were shot down earlier this year and that he was trying to “find a way to declare victory” before the Strait of Hormuz opens.
Trump had previously referred to Bolton as a “bad guy.”
Trump had called for Bolton’s arrest for years, claiming his former national security adviser was “treasonous” for writing a book, titled “The Room Where It Happened,” that allegedly contained classified information.
Trump was also charged with 40 counts related to mishandling classified documents, including violating the Espionage Act, in 2023, after an FBI raid found that he had brought boxes of classified documents to his Mar-a-Lago residence. The case was later dismissed by a Trump-appointed federal judge in Florida.
Unlike Trump, who was accused of physically retaining boxes of classified and sensitive documents, Bolton was accused of just keeping sensitive information in the form of notes and emails.
Bolton allegedly used his personal email and a messaging app to share more than 1,000 pages of notes that included details about his daily activities while working in national security in 2018 and 2019. Those notes were taken, in part, to assist Bolton in writing his book.
In June 2020, a judge determined Bolton “likely jeopardized national security by disclosing classified information in violation of his nondisclosure agreement obligations” in his book. However, the following year, the Department of Justice under the Biden administration closed the case.
Lowell previously said his client has not broken the law and that “the underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago.”
The details of the plea deal are preliminary and still need final approval from a federal judge. If approved, Bolton could face anywhere from zero to five years in prison.
Although Bolton joined former FBI Director James Comey and current New York Attorney General Letitia James in being prosecuted by the DOJ under the second Trump administration, the indictment against Bolton was slightly different.
Career prosecutors in Maryland investigated and charged Bolton with the 18-count indictment following normal procedure. Meanwhile, Trump had to fire and replace a prosecutor in Virginia who refused to bring charges against Comey, citing a lack of evidence.
The investigation into Bolton also spanned from the first Trump administration into the Biden administration, though it was later closed.
