'I'm Sorry for It': John Bolton Pleads Guilty

John Bolton formally admitted on Friday that he mishandled classified information when writing his memoir. The question now is whether the guilty plea will allow President Trump's former national security adviser to avoid prison. Bolton, 77, pleaded guilty in Maryland federal court to a single felony count of retaining national defense information, in a deal that calls for prosecutors to recommend no more than five years in prison and a $2.25 million fine, reports the Washington Post. The AP notes that the deal could keep him out of prison entirely, though a judge will make that call at sentencing.

Asked by the judge on Friday if he was guilty, Bolton replied, "I am, your honor, and I'm sorry for it." He originally faced 18 counts and a theoretical maximum of 10 years per charge. Prosecutors say he shared more than 1,000 pages of "diary-like" accounts of his work from 2018 to 2019 with relatives over personal email as he prepared his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened. The case, opened under the Biden Justice Department, is seen as a "black mark" on Bolton's legacy of public service, per the Post. Bolton has become a vocal critic of Trump since being fired in 2019.