Ex-Trump advisor John Bolton pleads guilty to retaining classified information

John Bolton, former National Security Advisor under Donald Trump and now a vocal critic, has changed his plea to guilty in a case involving the mishandling of classified information. Bolton struck a deal with prosecutors, significantly reducing the number of charges and the potential prison sentence he faces.

Appearing in federal court in Maryland, Bolton responded "I am, Your Honor, and I regret it" when asked if he was guilty of unlawfully retaining government information considered confidential. This contrasts sharply with his previous plea of not guilty in October, when he faced 18 charges, including eight for transmitting national defense information and 10 for retaining it, each carrying a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Under the new agreement, prosecutors are pursuing only one charge and recommending a maximum sentence of five years. Bolton has also agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine, with half due within five days and the remainder within three months. This plea represents a win for the Justice Department, particularly given Bolton's prominent role as a former ally and current harsh critic of Trump.

The original indictment alleged that Bolton compiled daily summaries, akin to a personal diary, of his activities as a White House advisor between 2017 and 2019. It was claimed he transcribed classified information and private conversations, sharing them with relatives who assisted in preparing a 2020 memoir. In that book, Bolton described Trump as "surprisingly uninformed." These messages were reportedly sent via a personal email account that was later compromised in a cyberattack linked by U.S. authorities to Iran.