WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.
The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes from his time in government that officials say he shared with family members as he was preparing a memoir about his career.
Under the agreement, Bolton would also face a $2.25 million fine, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that had not been made public. Any prison sentence would be capped at five years, but the agreement could also allow for him to avoid time behind bars. The punishment will ultimately be up to a judge.
The case against Bolton, filed weeks after prosecutors secured indictments against former and , unfolded against the backdrop of concerns that the Justice Department is using its law enforcement powers to pursue perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump. The investigation when FBI agents served search warrants at his Maryland home and Washington office, but it had been well underway by the time Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Wrote book critical of Trump
Bolton is a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles who became known for his hawkish views on American power. He served for more than a year in Trump鈥檚 first administration before being and publishing a critical book that portrayed the Republican president as deeply misinformed and painted an unflattering portrait of his leadership and decision-making.
Trump’s administration fought unsuccessfully to on the grounds that the book contained classified information that could harm national security if exposed. Bolton鈥檚 lawyers have said he moved forward with the book after a White House National Security Council official, with whom Bolton had worked for months, said the manuscript no longer had classified information.
The indictment he faced focused on notes shared with his wife and daughter rather than the substance of the book itself.
Bolton had initially pleaded not guilty and, in a statement released after his indictment, described the charges as part of an 鈥渋ntensive effort鈥� by Trump 鈥渢o intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct.鈥�
A re-arraignment, which can signal a plea agreement, is scheduled for June 26 in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
The indictment’s 18 counts carried a threat of a substantial prison sentence in the event of conviction, but the plea will avert that possibility.
Accused of sharing classified material with family members
Court documents alleged that he shared 鈥渄iary-like鈥� entries with information classified as high as top secret that he had learned from meetings with other U.S. government officials, from intelligence briefings or talks with foreign leaders. After sending one document, Bolton wrote in a message to his relatives, 鈥淣one of which we talk about!!!鈥� In response, one of his relatives wrote, 鈥淪hhhhh,鈥� prosecutors said.
The indictment said that among the material shared was information about foreign adversaries that in some cases revealed details about sources and methods used by the U.S. government to collect intelligence. One document related to a foreign adversary鈥檚 plans for a missile launch, while another detailed U.S. government plans for covert action and included intelligence blaming an adversary for an attack, court papers say.
Bolton’s government service long predated the Trump administration. He had also served in the Justice Department during President Ronald Reagan鈥檚 administration and was a State Department point person on arms control during George W. Bush鈥檚 presidency.
Bolton was nominated by Bush to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but the strong supporter of the Iraq War was unable to win Senate confirmation. He resigned after serving 17 months through a recess appointment that allowed him to hold the job on a temporary basis without Senate approval.
Fired after foreign policy clashes with Trump
In 2018, Bolton was appointed to serve as Trump鈥檚 third national security adviser. His brief tenure was characterized by disputes with the president over North Korea, Iran and Ukraine.
Those rifts ultimately led to Bolton鈥檚 departure, with Trump announcing on social media in September 2019 that he had accepted Bolton鈥檚 resignation.
Bolton subsequently criticized Trump鈥檚 approach to foreign policy and government in his book, to that country鈥檚 willingness to conduct investigations into Joe Biden, who was soon to be Trump鈥檚 Democratic rival in the 2020 presidential election, and members of the Biden family.
Trump responded by slamming Bolton as a 鈥渨ashed-up guy鈥� and a 鈥渃razy鈥� warmonger who would have led the country into 鈥淲orld War Six.鈥�
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Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
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