WASHINGTON: John Bolton, a prominent critic of US President Donald Trump who once served as his national security adviser, plans to plead guilty to mishandling classified documents and will pay a US$2.25 million fine as part of a deal with federal prosecutors, three sources said on Thursday (Jun 4).
Bolton will plead guilty to one count of retaining classified information based on diary entries detailing his work in Trump’s first term at a court hearing on Jun 26, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe an agreement that had not yet been made public. The deal recommends a sentencing range of no prison time up to five years behind bars, two sources said.
A federal judge will determine the final sentence.
The news was first reported by CNN.
PATTERN OF PROSECUTIONS
The case against Bolton is one of several brought by Trump’s Justice Department against prominent critics and adversaries of the president, dispensing with decades-long norms designed to insulate federal law enforcement from political pressures.
Bolton is accused of sharing sensitive information with two of his relatives for possible use in a book he was writing, including notes on intelligence briefings and meetings with senior government officials and foreign leaders. He pleaded not guilty to 18 criminal charges, which included both transmission and retention of national defense information, last year.
The Justice Department and a Bolton spokesperson declined to comment.