John Bolton reaches plea deal in classified documents case: Report

Published June 4, 2026 10:48am ET | Updated June 4, 2026 11:22am ET



Former national security adviser John Bolton has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to a classified documents charge stemming from his handling of sensitive government records after leaving the first Trump administration.

Bolton is expected to plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of sensitive national security documents and to pay a fine exceeding $2 million under the agreement, according to a report from CNN. A conviction on the charge carries a potential sentence of zero to 60 months in prison. The CNN reporting appeared to be supported by an update on the criminal case docket, which included a notice of a scheduled rearraignment of Bolton coming on June 26.

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