Former United States National Security Adviser John Bolton is expected to take a plea deal in a case centered on the handling of classified information. Bolton, who held the senior national security role during the Trump administration, had been engaged in plea discussions with the Department of Justice, and reporting indicates the two sides have now reached an agreement.
Under the terms of the deal, Bolton is expected to plead guilty to a single count tied to the illegal retention of a sensitive document. The arrangement marks a significant turn in a prosecution that had been built around allegations that he held government material he was not entitled to keep after leaving office.
As part of the agreement, Bolton has agreed to pay a financial penalty described as more than two million dollars. Reporting on the case has put the figure at around 2.25 million dollars, and indicated that the charge he faces had carried the prospect of up to 60 months in jail before the plea deal was struck.
Prosecutors allege that Bolton emailed sensitive materials to family members, a detail that formed part of the government's broader case about how the classified information was handled. The accusation pointed to the way protected material is said to have moved outside the channels in which it was supposed to remain.
Investigators also allege that Bolton kept top secret documents at his home in Maryland. The presence of such records in a private residence sat at the heart of the case, which revolved around the unlawful retention of sensitive government material long after his time in the administration had ended.
According to those familiar with the matter, the Department of Justice had been reviewing the documents at issue and alleged that Bolton had retained a number of them. That review underpinned the charges and shaped the negotiations that ultimately led toward a resolution rather than a full trial.
With the plea discussions said to have produced a deal, Bolton is now expected to enter the guilty plea to the single count. The outcome would bring a measure of resolution to a closely watched case, given Bolton's former standing as one of the country's most senior national security officials.