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Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.
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The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or sharing diary-like notes with family members that officials said contained classified information as he was preparing a memoir of his time in government.
Under the agreement, Bolton would also face a $2.25 million fine, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that had not been made public. Any prison sentence would be capped at five years, but the agreement allows for him to avoid time behind bars, though the punishment will ultimately be up to a judge.
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A rearraignment, which typically signals a plea agreement, is scheduled for June 26.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term and has since become a vocal critic of the former president. His home was raided in August 2025, and court documents show the FBI seized multiple documents marked secret, confidential, and classified.
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