John Bolton admits mishandling classified material in plea deal

John Bolton, the former national security adviser in Donald Trump’s first term and later one of his sharpest critics, pleaded guilty to improperly handling classified documents. The admission follows earlier Reuters reporting that Bolton was expected to enter the plea as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Under the reported deal, the recommended punishment range runs from no prison time to up to five years behind bars, with the final sentence to be decided by a judge. Bolton had previously denied all 18 criminal charges filed against him last year.

Prosecutors accused him of sharing sensitive information with two relatives for possible use in a memoir he was writing. The material allegedly included notes from intelligence briefings and from meetings with senior U.S. officials and foreign leaders.