John Bolton reaches plea deal over mishandling sensitive national security information

John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, has reportedly reached a plea agreement concerning charges of mishandling sensitive national security information. He is expected to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified documents and has agreed to pay a fine of $2.25 million. A re-arraignment hearing is scheduled for June 26, where a judge will determine the final sentence, which could range from no prison time to five years.

Prosecutors had initially indicted Bolton on 18 counts in October, alleging he shared over a thousand pages of "diary-like" entries containing classified details of his White House activities with two relatives while preparing a memoir, and also kept classified material at his home. The current plea deal focuses solely on the retention of national security information.