Bolton to Plead Guilty to Retaining Classified Documents, Pay $2M Fine

Executive Briefing

• Pleads guilty to one count of illegal retention of sensitive national security documents, CNN reports
• Agrees to pay over $2 million fine as part of the plea deal
• Faces original indictment of 18 counts under the Espionage Act for sharing classified materials
• Allegedly shared intelligence briefing notes with relatives for a book he was writing
• Bolton, a fierce Trump critic, originally pleaded not guilty at October 2025 arraignment