Ex-US National Security Advisor Bolton Reaches Tentative Plea Deal in Leak Case to Avoid Lengthy Prison Term

(Central News Agency correspondent Liao Hanyuan, New York, 4th) The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing sources, that former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has reached a tentative plea agreement with prosecutors in a leak case, avoiding a potential decades-long prison sentence. Bolton is expected to appear in court again at the end of the month.

CNN also reported on Thursday that Bolton intends to plead guilty to one count in the classified documents case.

The New York Times, citing two sources, reported that Bolton, who served as National Security Advisor during President Donald Trump's first term, had reached a tentative plea agreement with prosecutors over the mishandling of classified information related to notes he compiled for a book.

According to a court notice from the U.S. District Court in Maryland, where Bolton was indicted last year, he is scheduled to appear in court again on June 26, where he may enter a guilty plea.

Sources said the terms of the plea agreement are subject to approval by a judge. Bolton would plead guilty to one count of illegally possessing classified information and pay a fine. He could face a sentence ranging from zero to five years in prison. If the case went to trial and he lost, Bolton could have faced decades in prison.

Bolton published his book "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir" in 2020, which was highly critical of Trump's policies. The Times noted that with Trump back in office, courts have indicted several of his political opponents, but most cases have not resulted in convictions. Bolton's guilty plea could be seen as a clear victory in Trump's campaign against his adversaries.

The Bolton case differs from other cases pursued by the Trump administration's Justice Department. The investigation into Bolton began and progressed during the Biden administration. U.S. intelligence agencies had already obtained evidence that several former officials had flagged as problematic. The Justice Department declined to comment on the Times report.

The 18 counts against Bolton include transmitting thousands of pages of records, including defense information, via personal email and instant messaging apps to two family members who did not have security clearances. Sources identified these two individuals as Bolton's wife and daughter, and the purpose was to help him write his memoir about his time in the White House.

The indictment states that Bolton knew the content described in the book was government secrets requiring careful handling, but his notes still contained phrases like "the classified briefer said" and "I learned this in the Situation Room."

The Bolton case differs from other national security investigations, including the 2023 probe that led to charges against Trump. Bolton was not accused of possessing original classified documents, but rather of recording daily national security work details in diaries and emails.

The indictment also mentioned that Bolton's email may have been hacked by individuals linked to the Iranian government. A representative for Bolton notified officials in July 2021 but did not specify that the hacked emails contained defense information. While serving as National Security Advisor, Bolton had placed classified material into his email account.

The indictment also includes a bizarre episode where hackers taunted Bolton. In a July 25, 2021 email, the hackers warned, "You might not be interested to know that the FBI knows what John leaked" and "This could be the biggest scandal since Hillary Clinton's emails, but this time it's a Republican! Contact me before it's too late." (Editor: Wei Shu) 1150605