Former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of retaining classified information, according to multiple news outlets reporting Thursday. Bolton, who served as national security adviser during President Donald Trump's first term, plans to enter the plea under an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department.
The agreement would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, according to an Associated Press report cited by PBS NewsHour. The charges involve diary-like notes from his time in government service, the report stated.
Under the plea agreement, Bolton will plead guilty to one count of retaining national security information, NBC News reported. The network noted that Bolton later became one of Trump's critics after serving in the administration.
The New York Times described the charge as illegal retention of classified information, reporting that the offense could result in a fine and possibly prison time of up to five years. The newspaper identified Bolton as a former Trump national security adviser who plans to plead guilty to the count.
Fox News reported Thursday that Bolton will plead guilty to charges of retaining classified information, citing sources familiar with the matter. The outlet identified Bolton as a former national security adviser.
Breitbart News reported on the plea agreement, stating that Bolton agreed to plead guilty to a single count of "illegal retention of sensitive national security documents." The outlet cited CNN in its reporting on the matter.
Bolton later became a critic of Trump following his tenure in the administration. According to Deutsche Welle, Bolton is accused of mishandling classified documents while writing a memoir about Trump's first term. The outlet described the memoir as unflattering toward the former president and noted that Bolton had served as national security adviser before becoming a critic.
The South China Morning Post reported that Bolton agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department. The Indian Express also reported on Bolton's decision to plead guilty in the classified documents case.
The criminal case stems from allegations regarding Bolton's handling of classified materials after his government service. The charges relate to his retention of classified information following his departure from the Trump administration, with the case involving materials described as diary-like notes from his government tenure.
Bolton's plea agreement represents a resolution to the October criminal filing. The case involves allegations that he retained or disseminated classified information during the period when he was writing his memoir about his time in the Trump administration.
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