Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty Friday to one count of retaining national security information, according to media reports, in a case stemming from his tenure in President Donald Trump‘s first administration.
Bolton entered the guilty plea during a hearing in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, after originally being indicted in multiple classified information charges filed in 2025.
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of no more than five years in prison.
In response to the plea, US President Donald Trump called Bolton “a very dumb, unbalanced, and unskilled former representative” in a statement on Truth Social.
“He is a terrible person, a lunatic who only wanted to start trouble and wars, and who was a needless pusher of death and destruction wherever he went. Hopefully, he will be dealt with harshly!” he added.
NBC News reported that Bolton also agreed to pay $2.25 million and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28.
According to NBC News, Bolton told the court that the retained national security information consisted of an electronic diary entry that he had shared with two members of his family.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term before becoming a vocal critic of the president, was initially charged with multiple counts related to the transmission and retention of national defense information.
Neither the Justice Department nor Bolton’s legal team immediately issued additional public statements following Friday’s hearing.
