Former national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty in federal court on June 26, 2026, to one count of retaining national security information from his time in the Trump administration. Bolton appeared for a re-arraignment in Greenbelt, Maryland, before Judge Theodore D. Chuang. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to 60 months and has agreed to pay $2.25 million. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28.
Bolton described the retained information as an electronic diary entry shared with two family members. He was initially indicted in October 2025 on multiple counts related to the transmission and retention of national defense information, to which he pleaded not guilty at that time. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, stated that Bolton did not break the law and that the charges relate to unclassified records known to the FBI since 2021.
Bolton is among several critics of former President Trump who have faced legal challenges, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, both of whom have denied wrongdoing.