Overview
- Bolton, who agreed to the deal Thursday, is expected to plead guilty to one felony count of illegal retention at a June 26 rearraignment in federal court in Maryland.
- As reported by multiple outlets, the agreement calls for about $2.2–2.25 million in fines and caps legal exposure on the single count at a statutory range of zero to 60 months in prison.
- The plea would dispose of an October indictment that charged 18 counts of transmission and retention of national defense information stemming from diary‑style notes and emails.
- Prosecutors allege Bolton shared more than 1,000 pages of diary‑like entries with two unauthorized relatives and investigators reopened the probe after a suspected Iranian hack exposed his personal email; the reported deal does not accuse him of leaking classified material to foreign governments or the media.
- Career prosecutors handled the case and the deal could limit further courtroom disclosure of classified evidence, with final punishment and any restitution to be decided by the judge at sentencing; the Justice Department declined to comment.