Former U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, II Pleads Guilty to Violating the Espionage Act

Former National Security Advisor John R. Bolton II, 77, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026, in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, to one count of willfully retaining national defense information. Prosecutors said Bolton sent classified information through personal accounts to family members who were not authorized to receive it, and one of those email accounts was later hacked by a cyber actor allegedly linked to Iran. He faces up to 60 months in prison and agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine. He was originally indicted in October 2025 on 18 counts, and the plea agreement resolves all of them.