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Updated on: June 4, 2026 / 11:13 AM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Trump, is planning to plead guilty to one count of retaining classified national security information and will agree to pay a $2.25 million fine, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.Bolton, now a staunch critic of Mr. Trump, was indicted last year on 18 counts related to his handling of sensitive government information that prosecutors said he shared with two relatives in "diary-like" entries across a seven-year span for possible use in a book he was writing. He had pleaded not guilty in October.Bolton is expected to submit the plea agreement at a hearing at the U.S. district court in Maryland on June 26, one source said. The docket in his case describes the proceeding as a "re-arraignment."The sentencing range for the single count is from zero to 60 months of incarceration, the person added.The sources said the plea deal does not allege any wrongdoing by Bolton in connection with the publication of his book, nor is he accused of taking home any classified records or sharing them with the media or foreign adversaries. They noted he intends to accept responsibility for what he did.A federal grand jury indicted Bolton in mid-October on eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of retaining national defense information. His case had moved slowly because of procedures related to how classified information would be handled in proceedings.Bolton, a Republican, has held a variety of senior positions within the U.S. government across four decades and served as national security adviser to Mr. Trump during his first term. But he has since become a vocal critic of the president.
