John Bolton to plead guilty to improperly handling national defense information

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton plans to plead guilty in a case accusing him of improperly handling national defense information contained within his diaries, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill.

Bolton will plead guilty at a rearraignment hearing scheduled for June 26 on one count of retention of national security information, down from 18 counts related to violating the Espionage Act when he was first indicted in October.

Bolton agreed to pay $2.25 million as part of the deal, the sources said.

The sources said the deal ensures that Bolton’s prison time won’t exceed five years. His team will argue he should avoid jail time entirely, though it’s not clear what recommendation the Justice Department will make.

It’s up to U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an appointee of former President Obama who oversees the case.

The Hill has reached out to the Justice........

© The Hill