John Bolton, the former national security adviser who later became one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest critics, has reached a plea agreement in his classified documents case and is expected to plead guilty later this month, according to a report.
CNN, citing three sources familiar with the matter, reported Thursday that Bolton agreed to plead guilty to a single count of unlawfully retaining national defense information and pay a fine of more than $2 million.
The plea deal would mark a stunning reversal for the longtime Republican foreign policy hawk, who pleaded not guilty after being indicted last year.
Bolton, 77, was charged in October 2025 with 18 counts, including eight counts of unlawful transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information.
Prosecutors alleged Bolton improperly retained classified material after leaving government service and shared sensitive information contained in diary-like notes with family members. Authorities also accused him of keeping classified documents on personal electronic devices.
Court records show Bolton is scheduled to appear in federal court on June 26 to enter a new plea, though publicly available filings do not spell out the terms of any agreement.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser from 2018 until 2019, when the two parted ways amid policy disagreements. Since leaving the administration, Bolton has become one of the president’s most outspoken Republican critics, frequently appearing in the media and criticizing Trump’s foreign policy positions.
Following the indictment, Bolton denied wrongdoing and argued the prosecution was politically motivated.
Neither Bolton nor the Justice Department immediately commented on the reported agreement.
If finalized, the deal would bring an end to a case that had threatened to send one of Trump’s most prominent former aides to trial.
The prosecution centered on allegations that Bolton improperly retained sensitive national security information after his White House tenure and failed to safeguard classified material entrusted to him during decades of government service.
Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>
