Politics

John Bolton Will Plead Guilty to One Count of Retaining Classified Information in His Own Diary

By Mike Harper · June 5, 2026

In October 2025, a federal grand jury indicted John Bolton on 18 counts — eight counts of illegally transmitting national defense information and ten counts of unlawfully retaining it. On Thursday, the Justice Department agreed to drop 17 of those charges in exchange for a guilty plea to a single count. The plea hearing is scheduled for June 26 in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Bolton, 76, agreed to plead guilty to one count of retaining classified information contained in private diary entries from his time as Trump’s national security adviser, according to two sources familiar with the deal. The agreement calls for a fine of $2.25 million and caps any potential prison sentence at five years, though sentencing guidelines may produce something significantly less.

The classified information at the center of the case was never shared with journalists, foreign governments, or political operatives. The only people who were exposed to the material were Bolton’s wife and daughter — neither of whom held security clearances. The diary entries detailed Bolton’s observations and activities during his time in government and were shared as he prepared a memoir about his tenure.

Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, called the charges when they were filed a form of political retribution and argued the underlying facts had been investigated and resolved years before the indictment. Bolton himself was sharper.

“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.”

Bolton is one of three prominent Trump critics who have been indicted in federal court during Trump’s second term. Former FBI Director James Comey faces trial in October on charges related to seashells arranged on a beach. New York Attorney General Letitia James was charged with bank fraud. All three have characterized their prosecutions as politically motivated. The DOJ has denied each characterization.

The comparison that legal analysts have settled on is former CIA Director David Petraeus, who in 2015 pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information he shared with his biographer and romantic partner. Petraeus received a misdemeanor conviction, two years of probation, and a $100,000 fine.

Bolton is admitting to a felony, which carries more serious legal and reputational consequences. The fine he agreed to is twenty-two times larger than Petraeus’s. Whether the distinction reflects the severity of Bolton’s conduct or the current DOJ’s attitude toward Trump critics is a question the plea agreement does not answer.