John Bolton agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the U.S. Justice Department. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years and will pay a $2.25 million fine. Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser during Trump’s first term and became a critic of Trump after leaving his administration. According to the South China Morning Post, the Justice Department filed charges against Bolton in October 2025, including 18 counts related to retaining or disseminating classified information. According to the South China Morning Post, Bolton faced charges related to retaining or sharing diary-like notes containing classified information. According to France24, prosecutors alleged that some classified information retained by Bolton was used in his memoir, The Room Where It Happened.