Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleJohn Bolton, who served as national security adviser in Trump’s first term, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of illegally retaining classified information.This plea agreement with federal prosecutors could allow Bolton to avoid a prison term, though U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang will ultimately decide his punishment at the sentencing scheduled for October 28 in Greenbelt, Maryland.The deal recommends a maximum prison sentence of five years, but Bolton can withdraw his guilty plea if the judge imposes a longer sentence or a fine exceeding $2.25 million.Bolton was initially charged last October with 18 counts related to retaining or disseminating classified information, specifically focusing on diary-like notes he shared with family members while writing a memoir.The investigation, which included FBI searches of Bolton's home and office last August, began before Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, and Bolton had previously published a book critical of Trump's leadership after his departure from the administration in 2019.In fullTrump foe John Bolton pleads guilty in classified information caseThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Bolton pleaded guilty to one count of retaining national defense information while he was a national security adviser during President Trump's first term, saying: "And I am sorry…

Bolton, a former national security adviser during President Donald Trump’s first term, was previously indicted on 18 counts that alleged he kept more than 1,000 pages of notes…

Trump’s former national security adviser is pleading guilty.

Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton is reportedly set to plead guilty to mishandling classified information. Sources indicate a plea deal involving a substantial…

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