Ex-Trump adviser pleads guilty to national security violation

John Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump's national security adviser during his first term before becoming one of his harshest critics, entered a guilty plea Friday to one federal charge of illegally retaining classified national defense information.

According to NBC News, Bolton appeared before Judge Theodore D. Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland, for a re-arraignment hearing, where he admitted to the retention charge involving sensitive materials from his White House tenure.

The classified materials at issue included personal diary entries containing information classified at the top-secret level. Bolton acknowledged sharing these sensitive documents with two family members, according to court documents.

The guilty plea carries significant consequences. Bolton faces up to five years in federal prison and has agreed to pay $2.25 million in penalties. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 28.

Originally indicted in October 2025, prosecutors brought eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of illegal retention — charges that could have resulted in a decade behind bars and substantial fines.

Bolton's plea agreement appears to represent a negotiated resolution with prosecutors, allowing him to resolve the most serious allegations while maintaining his cooperation with the government, NBC News is reporting.