John Bolton, former National Security Adviser to US President Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing classified documents related to the notes he used for his autobiographical book.
The former official, who has since become one of Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics, had faced 18 charges over the improper handling of classified information and initially pleaded not guilty.
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On Friday, he changed his position and admitted guilt on a single charge related to the unlawful retention of classified information. Among the documents were personal notes containing information with implications for US national security, some of which were classified at the “Top Secret” level.
Prosecutors said Bolton faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, while he has also agreed to pay a fine of $2.25 million.
In addition to the financial penalty, Bolton will cooperate with US authorities by notifying national security officials about the classified materials he had in his possession, and he will also complete 100 hours of community service.
During the court hearing, after the judge listed the charges, including allegations that Bolton had sent notes containing sensitive information to members of his family, he acknowledged that the facts presented were accurate.
“Yes, I did, Your Honor,” Bolton said, adding that he was “remorseful” for what he had done. According to US media, he is expected to be sentenced on October 28.
Bolton left Donald Trump’s first administration in 2019. A year later, he published the book “The Room Where It Happened,” in which he described his experience in the White House and portrayed Trump as a president uninformed on foreign policy matters.
At the time, the White House filed a lawsuit to stop the book’s publication, arguing that it included classified information that had not been properly reviewed. However, the court rejected the request and the book was released.
Later, the US Department of Justice opened an investigation to determine whether Bolton had disclosed classified information in the book and whether he had shared sensitive materials with two of his relatives.
According to the indictment, in one instance a hacker had accessed Bolton’s email account, where the documents were stored, and sent a threatening message warning of “the biggest scandal since the release of Hillary Clinton’s emails.”
Legal experts have assessed that, although criminal cases against senior officials over the way they handle classified documents are rare, such cases have existed before. According to them, Bolton’s guilty plea is also linked to an effort to avoid the further disclosure of sensitive information during the court process.
Before taking the post of National Security Adviser in the Trump administration, John Bolton had served as the United States ambassador to the UN during the presidency of George W. Bush.
