John Bolton to Plead Guilty to Retaining National Security Information

John Bolton, who served as National Security Adviser during Donald Trump's administration and later became a vocal critic of the former president, has reached an agreement to plead guilty to one count of retaining national security information. His arraignment is scheduled for June 26, with sentencing expected within 90 days thereafter.

Bolton's plea deal follows an earlier indictment in October on multiple counts related to the mishandling of classified information. As part of this agreement, he faces possible penalties ranging from probation to 60 months in prison and will pay restitution of $2.25 million. Sources indicate that the information in question was outlined in an electronic diary shared with family members, dispelling allegations of unauthorized sharing or leaking to foreign adversaries.

A confidant of Bolton remarked that the decision to change his plea was made for the benefit of the country, emphasizing that he wished to avoid the trial's potential repercussions, including the public disclosure of classified documents. Bolton's conflicts with Trump were further exacerbated by his publication of an unflattering book critiquing the administration's foreign policy. In a public statement following Bolton's actions, Trump accused him of illegal conduct regarding classified information, despite Bolton’s claims of having adhered to legal requirements with respect to his writings.