Ex-Trump adviser Bolton pleads guilty in classified documents case

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftDonald TrumpHow Iran war fallout may shape US electionsA visual guide to redistrictingWho is Thomas Massie?caret-rightDEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, News|Donald TrumpEx-Trump adviser Bolton pleads guilty in classified documents caseThis is a breaking news story. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoFormer White House national security adviser John Bolton arrives at the US District Court for the District of Maryland, in Greenbelt, Maryland, US, June 26, 2026. [Tom Brenner/Reuters]By AP and ReutersPublished On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026John Bolton, ⁠a prominent critic ⁠of US President Donald Trump ‌who once served as his national security adviser, ⁠has pleaded guilty to unlawfully ⁠retaining classified ⁠information ⁠during a federal court hearing ‌in Maryland. Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday in a case related to the sharing of documents with two relatives for possible use in a ⁠book he was writing, including notes ⁠on intelligence briefings and meetings with senior government officials and foreign leaders. He pleaded not guilty to 18 criminal charges last ⁠year. Bolton, who served as national security adviser during Trump’s first term ⁠, is one of several noteworthy political opponents who have faced prosecution by Trump’s Department of Justice, erasing longstanding norms that had separated law enforcement efforts from partisan considerations. However, unlike other cases brought against Trump critics, the Bolton investigation began before Trump returned ‌to ‌office in 2025 and had the backing of career federal prosecutors. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: