John Bolton Pleads Guilty in Classified-Information Case, Will Pay $2.25 Million

John Bolton, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court in Maryland to mishandling classified information. As part of a plea deal, he apologized to the judge, saying, “I am sorry about that.” He will pay a $2.25 million fine, perform up to 100 hours of community service, meet with intelligence community and Justice Department officials for debriefing, and give up his government pension.

Sentencing is scheduled for October. Under the agreement, the judge could impose no prison time or up to five years in prison, with the final decision left to the court.

According to the indictment, Bolton shared sensitive material with two family members for possible use in the memoir he was writing, including notes from intelligence briefings and meetings with senior U.S. officials and foreign leaders. Prosecutors told the court that the classified material was ultimately not published in his book, The Room Where It Happened.

Bolton, 77, served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term and later became one of his sharpest critics. His book, which described Trump as unfit for office, sparked a public feud between the two men. Officials also said Bolton’s personal email account had previously been hacked by someone believed to be linked to Iran.