Former Trump adviser turned Trump critic John Bolton has admitted to mishandling classified information, potentially facing prison time.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: John Bolton, former National Security Adviser during the first Trump administration, has pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information. The plea deal was made in a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Friday, and could result in a sentence ranging from probation to five years in prison. 📰 DETAIL: Bolton was initially charged with 18 counts, each carrying a potential 10-year sentence, for sharing over 1,000 pages of notes containing national security information with relatives lacking security clearance. These notes were intended for his memoir, The Room Where It Happened, published in 2020. The notes were later accessed by a hacker linked to Iran. 🎯 IMPACT: Bolton’s guilty plea marks a significant development in the case against the vocal critic of President Donald J. Trump, who had accused the America First leader of targeting political opponents when the case against him was announced. His plea deal likely reduces the severity of the charges, potentially limiting Bolton’s sentence to a maximum of five years and a $2.25 million fine. |
🚨Former U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, II PLEADS GUILTY to Violating the Espionage Act: Sent Top Secret Information on Personal Account Allegedly Hacked by Iranians
“John Bolton held a position of extraordinary public trust as the country’s top National Security… pic.twitter.com/lpECKoouQ2
— National Security Division, U.S. Dept of Justice (@DOJNatSec) June 26, 2026
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