John Bolton plans to plead guilty in classified documents case

Politics John Bolton plans to plead guilty in classified documents case, source says By Sarah N. Lynch, Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch, Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn June 4, 2026 / 11:09 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Trump, is planning to plead guilty to one count of retaining classified national security information and will agree to pay a $2.25 million fine, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.Bolton, now a staunch critic of Mr. Trump, was indicted last year on 18 counts related to his handling of sensitive government information that prosecutors said he shared with two relatives in "diary-like" entries across a seven-year span. He had pleaded not guilty in October.Bolton is expected to submit the plea agreement at a hearing at the U.S. district court in Maryland on June 26, the person said. The docket in his case describes the proceeding as a "re-arraignment."The sentencing range for the single count is from zero to 60 months of incarceration, the person added.A federal grand jury indicted Bolton in mid-October on eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of retaining national defense information. His case had moved slowly because of procedures related to how classified information would be handled in proceedings.Bolton, a Republican, has held a variety of senior positions within the U.S. government across four decades and served as national security adviser to Mr. Trump during his first term. But he has since become a vocal critic of the president. He said after he was indicted that Mr. Tru...