Former Trump adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling documents

Former national security adviser John Bolton agreed on Friday to plead guilty to one count of illegally retaining national defense information. Prosecutors accused Bolton, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, of sharing sensitive information with family members and storing top-secret documents at his Maryland home. Bolton initially pleaded not guilty last October to all 18 counts of illegally sharing and storing defense information against him.

However, the 77-year-old revised his plea on Friday after brokering a deal with federal prosecutors. Bolton pleaded guilty to one count of illegally retaining classified information in exchange for prosecutors resolving all 18 counts against him, according to the Department of Justice’s Friday statement.

Bolton betrayed public trust and jeopardized the nation’s security, according to the DOJ’s National Security Division acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hayden O’Byrne. Today’s plea deal is a warning to all public officials entrusted with classified information that if they willfully mishandle state secrets, the DOJ will investigate and prosecute, he added.

Bolton is one of several political opponents under prosecution by Trump’s DOJ. Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty last October to federal charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. New York Attorney General Letitia James was also federally indicted last October on bank fraud charges.

What kind of sentence is Bolton facing? Bolton faced up to five years in prison and agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes reported. He will also lose his pension under federal law, she added. Court documents showed Bolton scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 28.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report for more background on the legal cases against Trump’s political opponents.