Former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty Friday to one count of mishandling classified information stemming from his time in the Trump White House.
During a federal court hearing, Bolton admitted his guilt when questioned by the judge.
“I am, Your Honor, and sorry for it.”
Under the plea agreement, the Justice Department is seeking a five-year prison sentence. Bolton has also agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28.
The plea comes months after a federal grand jury in Maryland indicted Bolton on 18 counts related to the alleged unlawful retention and transmission of classified national security information. Had he been convicted on all counts, Bolton could have faced a maximum sentence of life in prison, with each charge carrying a potential 10-year prison term.
As part of the agreement, Bolton pleaded guilty to a single count.
According to prosecutors, Bolton used his private email accounts to send sensitive national security documents to unauthorized individuals while also unlawfully retaining classified documents and handwritten notes after leaving office. Investigators alleged that Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of classified material, including top-secret national defense information.
The indictment further alleged that Bolton regularly transcribed handwritten notes from his workday into "diary-like entries" that contained classified information before emailing them to unnamed individuals. Prosecutors also said he transmitted classified information through personal AOL and Google email accounts.
Federal agents searched Bolton's home and his Washington, D.C., office last summer as part of the investigation. According to the FBI, agents recovered folders labeled "confidential" and "secret," along with materials related to weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. mission to the United Nations, and U.S. strategic communications.
At the time of the indictment, FBI Director Kash Patel said:
“The FBI’s investigation revealed that John Bolton allegedly transmitted top secret information using personal online accounts and retained said documents in his house in direct violation of federal law.
“The case was based on meticulous work from dedicated career professionals at the FBI who followed the facts without fear or favor. Weaponization of justice will not be tolerated, and this FBI will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens our national security.”
Bolton previously denied the allegations, arguing that the prosecution was politically motivated.
“When my e-mail was hacked in 2021, the FBI was made fully aware,” he said following the indictment.
The indictment states that a cyber actor believed to be linked to Iran compromised Bolton's private email account sometime after he left government service.
Bolton also criticized the decision to prosecute him after no charges were filed during the previous administration.
“In four years of the prior administration, after these reviews, no charges were ever filed. Then came Trump 2 who embodies what Joseph Stalin’s head of secret police once said, ‘You show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.’”
He further argued that the case was intended to silence political opponents.
“These charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct. Dissent and disagreement are foundational to America’s constitutional system, and vitally important to our freedom. I look forward to the fight to defend my lawful conduct and to expose his abuse of power.”
