John Bolton to plead guilty to unlawful handling of classified documents, to pay 46 million crowns

Former national security adviser John Bolton has reached a guilty plea agreement with the US Department of Justice. He faces a fine of 2.25 million dollars.

Bolton to plead guilty to classified documents charges, avoid prison

According to Aktuálně.cz, citing the AP news agency, John Bolton, former national security adviser to US President Donald Trump, plans to plead guilty in a case of unlawful handling of classified documents. He has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice aimed at avoiding a prison sentence.

According to an informed AP source, Bolton will be fined 2.25 million dollars under the agreement, equivalent to approximately 46.8 million crowns. He is scheduled to appear before federal court in Maryland on 26 June – a date which the agency describes as a typical signal of a guilty plea agreement being finalised.

Bolton was charged by federal prosecutors last October with retaining and disseminating classified information, including diary entries from his time serving in government. He shared these with family members whilst writing a book about his tenure in office. According to prosecutors, the information classified as top secret was obtained at meetings with government officials, during intelligence briefings, or at meetings with foreign leaders.

At his initial court appearance last year, Bolton denied guilt and characterised the indictment as an abuse of power.

This is not, however, Bolton's first legal conflict over the handling of classified information. During Trump's first term in office, he faced an investigation related to a book which, according to some US officials, contained classified data. However, the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden's administration withdrew the lawsuit in 2021 and halted a separate grand jury investigation.

Bolton served as Trump's national security adviser for 17 months in the third position in this role. He disagreed with the president over approaches to Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea, and after leaving office became one of his most prominent critics. He previously also served as US Ambassador to the United Nations.

After returning to the White House last year, Trump pressured then Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring charges against his alleged opponents. Those named included former FBI Director James Comey and New York State Attorney General Letitia James.

Source: Aktuálně.cz