Bolton Pleads Guilty to Retaining Classified Info, Facing Up to 5 Years in Prison
Former National Security Adviser John had a courtroom showdown on Friday after he was indicted for retaining classified information.
In a dramatic courtroom development, Bolton pleaded guilty to one felony count of unlawfully retaining national defense information.
The veteran foreign policy hawk, who served in President Donald Trump’s first term before becoming one of his sharpest critics, entered the plea in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
This came after a months-long case that began with an FBI raid and an 18-count indictment.
The saga traces back to Bolton’s tenure as national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019.
Prosecutors alleged he kept sensitive “diary-like” notes containing highly classified information — some marked Top Secret — at his Bethesda, Maryland home and transmitted them improperly, including to family members via personal email and messaging apps.
FBI agents executed search warrants on Bolton’s Maryland residence and Washington, D.C. office in August 2025, recovering classified documents related to intelligence sources, methods, foreign adversaries’ plans, and U.S. covert actions.
On October 16, 2025, a federal grand jury in Maryland indicted Bolton on 18 counts: eight for transmission of national defense information and 10 for unlawful retention.
Each carried a potential 10-year prison term. Bolton surrendered the next day and pleaded not guilty.
The case involved prepublication review disputes tied to Bolton’s 2020 memoir “The Room Where It Happened,” which was harshly critical of Trump.
Prosecutors focused on notes Bolton retained for personal use rather than solely on the book’s published content.
Bolton initially pushed back, with a statement after indictment describing the charges as part of an “intensive effort” by Trump to intimidate opponents.
Bolton agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retention, pay a $2.25 million fine, and face a sentencing range of zero to five years in prison.
The deal recommends no prison time in some accounts, but the judge holds final authority.
On Friday, June 26, Bolton formally entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang.
Sentencing is expected within 90 days.
Bolton now faces up to five years behind bars, three years of supervised release, a multimillion-dollar fine, and forfeiture of his federal pension.
Some see the hefty financial penalty as recouping potential book-related gains from material derived from classified notes.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the resolution, stating, “John Robert Bolton II plead guilty in federal court to the unlawful retention of national defense information… Mr. Bolton faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison followed by a term of up to three years of supervised release. He will also pay a fine of $2.25 million and will forfeit his pension.”
“Keeping Americans safe always has been, and always will be, the top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. If anyone endangers our national security, we’re committed to holding them accountable,” Hayes said.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hayden O’Byrne added, “If you leak America’s secrets or if you mishandle them, the United States Department of Justice National Security Division and our U.S. Attorney partners will be there to prosecute you.”
Critics of Bolton have long accused him of hypocrisy, given his vocal criticism of others’ handling of secrets while allegedly compromising them himself.
As sentencing approaches, Bolton’s legal team is expected to argue for probation, citing his age, service record, and the single-count resolution.
Prosecutors will likely highlight the seriousness of retaining sensitive defense information.
BREAKING: Dolly Parton’s Cause Of Death Revealed: ‘Brief Battle’
Dolly Parton’s death came after a brief battle with cancer, her representatives revealed Tuesday.
The country music legend died Aug. 25 at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. She was 80.
Parton had been admitted to the cancer center Friday, four days before her death. Her representatives confirmed the cancer diagnosis in a statement to PEOPLE but did not disclose what type she had.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the statement read.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded.
The “Jolene” singer had also been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues before her death, PEOPLE previously reported.
Just days earlier, Dolly Parton opened up about her declining health and acknowledged that she had put off addressing some medical issues while caring for her husband, Carl.
“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [my husband] Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in an Instagram video Tuesday on behalf of the Parton and Owens family.
“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he says in the video.
Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades, said she had asked him years earlier to deliver the announcement.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he continued. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
Seaver said the moment brought immense pride and heartbreak, but he took comfort in his faith that Parton had been reunited with Carl and other loved ones.
Seaver added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless othe
Shocking 'truth' behind Prince Harry's decision to quit major role
Prince Harry should have "resigned in disgrace" from the board of a controversial African wildlife charity, a commentator says. James Walker makes the bombshell remark in Wednesday's episode of this publication's podcast, Daily Expresso.
He and the show's host, JJ Anisiobi, delve into the Duke of Sussex's dramatic decision to step down from African Parks. James, commenting on the controversy, said: "When you hear about this stuff and how long it's been going on for, you should be resigning in disgrace. [Harry] should be saying: 'I'm not touching that with a barge pole. That is a failed entity. We're going nowhere near it'.
"But no. He's still saying he's going to 'support their mission'. And again this Caroline Pearce, executive director of Survival International, goes on to say: 'His departure doesn't undo that record'.
"She alleged that African Parks was aware of the abuses for years, but it was only after Survival complained to Harry that the charity finally commissioned an investigation."
James added: "Well, she's got a point."
It emerged on Monday (August 24) that Harry was no longer a board member of the wildlife charity.
The conservation organisation has admitted that human rights abuses were committed by its rangers against members of the semi-nomadic Baka group in Congo-Brazzaville.
African Parks has said since that it has improved its safeguarding processes both in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park and institutionally.
Its admission followed an independent human rights investigation into allegations guards managed and paid by the charity had beaten, raped and tortured indigenous people in Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
Harry was president of the charity for six years before he became a member of its board of directors in 2023.
A spokesman for the Duke said he remains an active and avid supporter of African Parks. He added: "The Duke is proud of his 10 years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its board.
"His commitment to conservation in Africa continues and he remains a supporter of African Parks’ mission."
Human rights organisation, Survival International, said it had been calling on Harry to step down from African Parks for years.
The group's director, Caroline Pearce, said in a statement: "It’s outrageous that for 10 years Prince Harry has served African Parks while the organisation has been responsible for abuse and violence against Indigenous people.
"His departure doesn't undo that record — African Parks itself must now be held accountable, and must abandon this model of fortress conservation for good."
Survival International said indigenous peoples know how best to manage their land and the idea outsiders know better is racist and colonial.
