John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, has reached a tentative plea deal with prosecutors regarding his mishandling of classified documents. Bolton is expected to plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of sensitive national security documents. This agreement was initially reported by CNN and The New York Times on June 4, 2026.
As part of the deal, Bolton has agreed to pay a fine exceeding $2 million. He could face a sentence ranging from no prison time to up to five years in prison, pending judicial approval of the agreement. A re-arraignment is scheduled for June 26, 2026, in a Maryland federal court, where Bolton may formally plead guilty.
Bolton was indicted last year on an 18-count indictment and had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges. The allegations include sharing over 1,000 pages of notes containing national security information with family members lacking security clearance while he was working on his memoir, "The Room Where It Happened," published in 2020.
Following an FBI raid on Bolton's home in August 2025, President Trump criticized him, labeling him a "lowlife" and a "sleazebag." Trump has also faced indictments related to classified documents retention after leaving office. Bolton has claimed that he is a target of the Justice Department's weaponization against Trump's perceived enemies and has vowed to defend his actions as lawful.
The White House has referred inquiries to the Justice Department, which has not yet commented on the matter.