John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, entered into a plea deal in the case of withholding classified documents, reports the CNN citing three sources familiar with the matter.
According to the sources, Bolton may plead guilty to one count of criminal mischief and has agreed to pay more than $2 million in fines. The crime carries a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, but this way Bolton can avoid the prison sentence he has to serve. The hearing was scheduled for June 26.
against Bolton charges were filed last October due to misuse of classified documents. Bolton served as national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019 during Donald Trump’s first presidency. According to the indictment, he shared sensitive information, including top-secret content, with two unauthorized individuals, which came into his possession through his position. Bolton claimed at the time that he had committed no crime.
According to the indictment, the former senior White House official stored classified documents and records, including top secret documents, at his home in Maryland. In September 2019, Bolton left the position of national security advisor after a conflict with the president, after which he became a consistent critic of Donald Trump’s policies.
