Key facts
- John Bolton plans to plead guilty to one count of retaining classified information.
- Bolton will pay a $2.25 million fine as part of a deal with federal prosecutors.
- A court hearing is scheduled for June 26.
- The plea agreement resolves charges of mishandling classified documents.
- Bolton previously faced 18 criminal charges.
John Bolton, a former national security adviser under U.S. President Donald Trump and a prominent critic of the former president, plans to plead guilty to mishandling classified documents and will pay a $2.25 million fine as part of a deal with federal prosecutors. Bolton will plead guilty to one count of retaining classified information based on diary entries detailing his work in Trump's first term at a court hearing on June 26. The deal recommends a sentencing range of no prison time up to five years behind bars, though a federal judge will determine the final sentence. Bolton is accused of sharing sensitive information with two relatives for possible use in a book he was writing, including notes on intelligence briefings and meetings with senior government officials and foreign leaders. He had previously pleaded not guilty to 18 criminal charges last year. Sources familiar with the plea agreement stated that the deal alleges no wrongdoing with regard to Bolton's book, but that Bolton is acknowledging he made a mistake.