John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Mishandling Classified Documents
John Bolton, a former national security adviser to Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to mishandling classified security information related to notes he compiled for a book.
Bolton, now a prominent critic of the US president, was initially indicted on 18 counts concerning improper handling of classified material and had pleaded not guilty.
On Friday, he admitted to a single charge of illegal retention of classified information. The documents he retained included diary entries containing national defence information, some classified at the top secret level.
Prosecutors stated that Bolton faces a prison sentence of up to five years and has agreed to pay a $2.25 million (£1.7 million) fine.
Additionally, Bolton will debrief national security officials on the classified information he illegally retained and perform 100 hours of community service, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
During court proceedings on Friday, after the judge read the allegations against Bolton, including sending diary entries with sensitive information to family members, Bolton acknowledged the accuracy of the accusations.
"I did your honor," Bolton said when asked if he committed the actions. He added he was "sorry for it."
He is scheduled to be sentenced on 28 October, US media report.
Background and Investigation
Bolton was dismissed from Trump's first administration in 2019. His 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, detailed his tenure under Trump, portraying the president as ill-informed about geopolitics.
The White House filed a lawsuit to block the book's publication, arguing it contained classified information and had not undergone proper vetting. A judge denied the request, and the book was published days later.
Subsequently, the US Department of Justice launched an investigation into whether Bolton mishandled classified information by disclosing parts of it in the book.
He was also accused of transmitting some classified materials from his time as national security adviser to two relatives.
Bolton has remained critical of Trump since then. Trump, in response, has suggested Bolton should be jailed and referred to him as a "sleazebag."
Details of the Indictment
The indictment revealed that at one point a hacker accessed Bolton's account, where documents were stored, and sent a threat to cause "the biggest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked."
Bolton's indictment follows other high-profile criminal cases against Trump critics, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
However, former federal prosecutors and legal experts told the BBC that Bolton's case differs from prosecutions of other Trump critics due to the evidence gathered by prosecutors.
"The ambassador has admitted to what he has done," a person familiar with Bolton's plea deal told the BBC.
Bolton also understood that if he continued to fight the case, "other classified information might have been released in his defence" and he did not want to "damage" the United States, the person said.
Legal Perspectives and Bolton's Career
Charging a high-ranking official for mishandling classified documents is "rare" but not unprecedented, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
"Cases that involve classified information present challenges to prosecute, but they can and are brought against both low-level and high-level officials, from time to time," she said.
Before joining the Trump administration, Bolton served as George W. Bush's UN ambassador. He was also among former officials critical of Trump who had their Secret Service protection removed in January.
Kayla Epstein and Ana Faguy contributed to this report.
