Former National Security Advisor John Bolton Pleads Guilty to Espionage Act Violation

A former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, John Robert Bolton II, 77, of Bethesda, Maryland, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the transmission and retention of national defense information. The plea agreement addresses all 18 counts outlined in the indictment, with Bolton specifically pleading guilty to Count 12, which pertains to the retention of national defense information. This development was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, alongside officials from the National Security Division and the FBI.

The charges stem from Bolton’s actions during his tenure as National Security Advisor from April 2018 to September 2019. Court documents reveal that Bolton incorporated highly sensitive classified information, some classified at the TOP SECRET level and including Sensitive Compartmented Information, into personal diary entries. These entries detailed his daily activities and contained information on foreign adversaries’ military operation plans, covert U.S. government actions in foreign countries, and intelligence derived from clandestine human sources and intercepted communications. Bolton then transmitted these documents to two family members who were not authorized to access such information. The transmission occurred via non-governmental email accounts and a messaging application not approved for processing classified information. Furthermore, Bolton retained copies of these documents at his residence in Bethesda, a location where such storage was not permitted.

The case took another turn after Bolton left office in September 2019. A cyber actor, believed to be connected to the Islamic Republic of Iran, hacked into Bolton’s personal email account. While Bolton reported the hack to law enforcement, he did not disclose to the agents or any other U.S. government entity that the compromised account contained national defense information. This failure to disclose is a critical element of the prosecution.

Bolton now faces a potential maximum penalty of 60 months in prison and has agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine. In addition, as stipulated in the plea agreement, his conviction will result in the forfeiture of any annuity or federal retirement pay, for himself or his survivors, under federal law. The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Theodore D. Chuang for the District of Maryland. This case highlights the serious consequences of mishandling classified information and the commitment of federal agencies to hold individuals accountable for actions that jeopardize national security.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

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