Former Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling classified documents - BBC News

Bolton faces a prison sentence of up to five years and has agreed to pay $2.25m in fine, prosecutors say.

Image source, Getty ImagesByMax MatzaPublished26 June 2026Updated 27 June 2026John Bolton, a former national security adviser to Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to mishandling classified security information as part of notes he compiled for a book.

Bolton, now a prominent critic of the US president, was indicted on 18 counts related to improper handling of classified material, and initially pleaded not guilty.

On Friday, he admitted to a single charge of illegal retention of classified information. The documents he retained included diary entries containing national defence information, some of it classified at the top secret level.

Bolton faces a prison sentence of up to five years and has agreed to pay $2.25m (£1.7m) in fines, prosecutors said.

Bolton will also debrief national security officials on the classified information he illegally retained as well as perform 100 hours of community service, the BBC's US partner CBS News reported.