Former Trump Adviser John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Retaining Classified Information
John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to President Trump, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, in a Maryland federal court to one count of unlawfully retaining national defense information. He admitted to keeping and sharing classified diary-like notes with his wife and daughter for his memoir. Under a plea deal, he faces up to five years in prison, a $2.25 million fine, community service, and forfeiture of his pension. The case is seen as a political victory for the Trump administration.
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Trump Criticizes John Bolton After Guilty Plea on Retaining Classified Materials
President Trump criticized his former national security adviser John Bolton after Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to improperly retaining sensitive materials from his time in the White House. In a late Friday post on Truth Social, Trump called Bolton 'a very dumb, unbalanced, and unskilled former representative of the United States of America' and expressed hope that he would be 'dealt with harshly.' The article from The Hill reports on Trump's response to Bolton's legal case, which involves mishandling classified information.
Just In NewsFormer Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling classified documents
John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump and later a vocal critic, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, in federal court to mishandling classified information. The charges stem from sharing sensitive intelligence briefings and meeting notes with two relatives for potential use in his memoir 'The Room Where It Happened.' Under a plea deal, Bolton faces a sentence ranging from no prison time to up to five years, to be determined by Judge Theodore D. Chuang in October. He agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine, perform 100 hours of community service, forfeit his government pension, and undergo a debriefing with intelligence and Justice Department officials. Prosecutors noted no classified information was published in the book and confirmed Bolton's personal email was hacked by Iran-linked actors. The investigation, which began before Trump returned to office in 2025, had backing from career prosecutors, distinguishing it from other politically charged cases.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Former Trump Adviser John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Retaining Classified Information
John Bolton, former National Security Adviser under President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, to one count of illegally retaining classified information. He was originally indicted on 18 counts for keeping over 1,000 pages of notes containing national security information and sharing them with his wife and daughter. Under a plea deal, Bolton faces up to five years in prison and a $2.25 million fine, though the Associated Press reported the deal could help him avoid a prison sentence altogether. Bolton, who later became a fierce critic of Trump, originally pleaded not guilty in October 2025, calling himself a target of a weaponized Justice Department. He is set to be sentenced on October 28 by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland. The case is seen as a win for Trump's Justice Department in prosecuting perceived political foes.
Forbes - BusinessEx-Trump advisor John Bolton pleads guilty to retaining national defense information
John Bolton, former national security advisor to President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, in Maryland federal court to one criminal count of retaining national defense information. Bolton was indicted in October on eight counts of transmission and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. FBI agents raided his home and office in August as part of the investigation. Bolton, who served as Trump's national security advisor from April 2018 to September 2019, has been a vocal critic of Trump. The plea hearing took place in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the case is ongoing.
US Top News and AnalysisEx-Trump Adviser John Bolton Pleads Guilty in Classified Documents Case
Former White House national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, to unlawfully keeping and transmitting classified national security information, marking a major win for President Donald Trump. Bolton admitted to sharing classified details from his 2020 memoir 'The Room Where It Happened' with his wife and daughter, pleading guilty to one felony count out of 18 original violations. He agreed to pay a fine of over $2 million and faces up to five years in prison. The memoir had revealed damning details about Trump's first term, including withholding military aid from Ukraine and corrupt foreign policy dealings. Trump has previously called Bolton a 'lowlife' and a 'sleazebag.' CNN reports the case against Bolton was more legally sound than other prosecutions of Trump's political enemies.
The New RepublicEx-Trump Adviser John Bolton Pleads Guilty in Classified Documents Case
Former White House national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, to unlawfully keeping and transmitting classified national security information. He admitted to sharing classified details with his wife and daughter, resulting in one felony count out of 18 original violations. Bolton agreed to pay a fine of over $2 million and faces up to five years in prison. The case stemmed from notes he took for his 2020 memoir, 'The Room Where It Happened,' which revealed damaging details about President Donald Trump's first term, including Trump's withholding of military aid from Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. Trump, who has called Bolton a 'lowlife' and 'sleazebag,' viewed the guilty plea as a political win. CNN reported the case against Bolton was more sound than other prosecutions of Trump's enemies.
The New RepublicEx-Trump Adviser John Bolton Pleads Guilty in Classified Documents Case
Former White House national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, to unlawfully keeping and transmitting classified national security information. He admitted to sharing classified details with his wife and daughter, resulting in one felony count, though he was initially accused of 18 violations. Bolton agreed to pay over $2 million in fines and faces up to five years in prison. The case stems from notes he took for his 2020 memoir, 'The Room Where It Happened,' which exposed damaging details about President Donald Trump's first term, including Trump's withholding of military aid from Ukraine. Trump had previously called Bolton a 'lowlife' and a 'sleazebag.' The article frames the guilty plea as a significant victory for Trump, noting that the Justice Department's case against Bolton was considered more solid than other prosecutions of Trump's political adversaries.
The New RepublicJohn Bolton pleads guilty in classified documents prosecution
John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to President Trump and a prominent Trump critic, pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of retaining national defense information. The 77-year-old admitted to improperly keeping sensitive materials in 'diary-like' entries after leaving the White House. The plea was entered during a federal court hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland. The case represents a significant victory for the Trump administration's Justice Department, as Bolton had been a vocal opponent of the president. The charges stem from Bolton's retention of classified materials after his tenure as national security adviser, which he later used in a book critical of Trump's foreign policy decisions.
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