John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Possession of Classified Document

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on June 27, 2026, to one count of unauthorized possession of a national defense document in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland. This plea is part of an agreement that will result in the dismissal of 17 additional counts at sentencing. Bolton's plea follows a history of conflict with former President Donald Trump, who criticized Bolton in a post on Truth Social after the plea was announced. Bolton, 77, faces a potential fine of $2.25 million, up to five years in prison, and the loss of his federal retirement pension. Prosecutors allege that Bolton unlawfully retained classified national defense information, including over 1,000 pages of notes from his time as national security adviser, and shared some of this information with family members via personal email. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the investigation confirmed Bolton's mishandling of classified information. Bolton's attorney, Abbe Lowell, stated that the guilty plea reflects accountability for a mistake.