John Bolton, former Trump national security adviser, pleads guilty in classified documents case

John Bolton, a figure who served as national security adviser during the first term of U.S. President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on June 5 in a federal court in Maryland. He admitted to unlawfully retaining classified information related to sharing documents with two relatives for use in a book he wrote.

According to court records, the documents included notes from intelligence briefings and meetings with senior officials and foreign leaders. Bolton had previously pleaded not guilty to 18 criminal charges in 2024.

John Bolton is among several prominent political opponents of Trump who have faced prosecution from the Department of Justice during Trump's tenure. This broke with long-standing norms that separate law enforcement from partisan considerations. However, unlike other cases targeting Trump critics, the investigation into Bolton began before Trump returned to the White House in 2025 and was backed by career federal prosecutors.