John Bolton to Pay $2.25 Million in Classified Documents Case

Former White House national security adviser John Bolton will pay $2.25 million to settle charges tied to the handling of classified documents, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday, June 4. The people said Bolton is expected to plead guilty on June 26 to one count of retaining classified information based on diary entries.

The settlement relates to allegations that Bolton kept classified material after leaving government and shared sensitive information with two relatives for possible use in a book he was writing, the people said. The material at issue included notes from intelligence briefings and records of meetings with senior U.S. officials and foreign leaders.

Bolton had pleaded not guilty last year to 18 criminal charges. Under the expected plea, he would admit to a single count, the people said.

A person familiar with the settlement said the plea deal includes Bolton acknowledging that he made a mistake, but it does not allege wrongdoing regarding the content of his book.

Plea hearing set for June 26

The people familiar with the deal said the guilty plea is expected to be entered during a court hearing scheduled for June 26. They did not describe additional terms beyond the $2.25 million payment and the anticipated plea to one count.

The Justice Department declined to comment. A spokesperson for Bolton also declined to comment on the settlement and expected plea.

Bolton’s role and political break with Trump

Bolton served as national security adviser during President Donald Trump’s first term and later became one of Trump’s vocal critics. He has publicly questioned Trump’s fitness to serve and wrote a memoir about his time in the administration.

The court hearing will be the next key milestone in the case, as prosecutors and Bolton’s lawyers seek to finalize the settlement outlined by the people familiar with the agreement.