Former national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty Friday to a single felony count of illegally retaining classified information under a plea agreement that would resolve most of the criminal case stemming from his handling of sensitive national security records while writing his 2020 memoir, "The Room Where It Happened."

Bolton appeared in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he admitted guilt to one count of illegal retention of classified information.

He commented while making his plea that he was "sorry" for his actions.

According to The New York Times, the agreement, which must be approved by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, would reduce an 18-count indictment filed against him in October 2025.

According to people familiar with the agreement, Bolton will pay a fine of approximately $2.25 million and faces a maximum prison sentence of five years, though the ultimate punishment will be determined by the court. The plea agreement could allow him to avoid prison altogether.

Federal prosecutors alleged Bolton unlawfully retained and transmitted classified national defense information through handwritten diary-style notes compiled during his tenure as President Donald Trump's national security adviser.

The notes later became source material for his bestselling memoir, which detailed internal White House deliberations and criticized Trump following their public falling out.

The October indictment alleged Bolton improperly shared more than 1,000 pages of notes containing national defense information with family members using his personal email account and a messaging application.

According to the indictment, several entries demonstrated Bolton understood he was recording classified information. One note began, "The intel briefer said," while another stated, "While in the Situation Room, I learned."

Prosecutors also alleged Bolton's personal email account was later compromised by an individual linked to the Iranian government, creating additional national security concerns.

Court filings state, "A representative for Bolton notified the U.S. government of the hack in or about July 2021," but "did not tell the U.S. government that the account contained national defense information, including classified information, that Bolton had placed in the account from his time as national security adviser."

According to prosecutors, the suspected hacker attempted to extort Bolton after obtaining access to the account.

"I do not think you would be interested in the F.B.I. being aware of the leaked content of John's email (some of which have been attached)," one message said.

A subsequent communication added, "This could be the biggest scandal since Hillary's emails were leaked, but this time on the G.O.P. side! Contact me before it's too late."

Bolton, 77, served as Trump's national security adviser from April 2018 until September 2019 before the two split over foreign policy disagreements involving Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran. After leaving the White House, Bolton became one of Trump's most outspoken Republican critics.

His memoir sparked a legal battle in 2020 after the Trump administration sought to block its publication, arguing it contained classified information that had not completed the government's prepublication review process.

A federal judge declined to stop publication because copies had already been distributed but warned Bolton had likely exposed himself to legal consequences by proceeding without final written authorization.

The Justice Department later opened a criminal investigation into whether Bolton had mishandled classified information, an inquiry that ultimately led to the 2025 indictment charging him with eight counts of unlawfully transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of unlawfully retaining it.

Bolton pleaded not guilty after surrendering to authorities in October 2025, with his attorneys arguing he had committed no crime and describing the prosecution as politically motivated.