John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump’s national security adviser during his first administration before becoming a vocal critic, pleaded guilty in a federal court hearing in Maryland to one count of retaining classified national security information. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years.
Details of the Charge
The charge stems from diary entries Bolton compiled for his memoir, which was highly critical of Trump. He was accused of transmitting some of these materials to two relatives, reported by multiple outlets to be his wife and daughter.
Bolton initially pleaded not guilty to an 18-count indictment in October last year. However, under a plea deal with the US Justice Department, he agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining the classified information in diary-like entries. He also agreed to pay a fine of over $2 million.
Implications of the Plea Deal
Had Bolton gone to trial and lost, he could have faced decades of incarceration. Additionally, a trial might have exposed significant classified information to the public as Bolton sought to defend himself, which was cited as another reason for accepting the deal.
Bolton is expected to argue for no prison time at his sentencing, but the Justice Department may seek incarceration, setting up a contentious hearing at a later date.
