John Bolton, the former national security adviser to Donald Trump, pleaded guilty today to leaking classified information in what prosecutors called a ‘reckless disregard for national security.’ The plea, entered in a Washington DC federal court, comes after an 18-month investigation that uncovered a pattern of unauthorised disclosures spanning Bolton’s time in the White House.
According to court documents unsealed this morning, Bolton admitted to sharing details of a sensitive intelligence operation with a journalist in 2019. The operation involved covert surveillance of a foreign adversary. MI5, Britain’s domestic security service, issued an unprecedented statement warning that the case reflects an ‘alarming culture of impunity’ within the US intelligence community.
‘This is not an isolated incident. It is symptomatic of a systemic failure in Washington where political appointees treat classified material as personal currency,’ a senior MI5 source told this paper. The source confirmed that British intelligence agencies have been reviewing their information-sharing protocols with the US in light of the Bolton leak.
Bolton, 73, faces up to 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December. In court, he said little beyond ‘guilty, your honour,’ though his lawyer later claimed Bolton was ‘cooperating fully with investigators’ and had ‘taken responsibility for an error of judgement.’
The case has reignited debate over the handling of classified information by Trump administration officials. Bolton’s own memoir, ‘The Room Where It Happened,’ published in 2020, was itself a source of controversy after the Justice Department alleged it contained classified material. At the time, Bolton defended the book as a necessary account of a chaotic presidency.
But today’s guilty plea goes further. Prosecutors say Bolton leaked details of a ‘highly sensitive’ programme that, if compromised, could have endangered lives. The name of the programme remains blacked out in court filings, but sources confirm it involved collaboration with a ‘Five Eyes’ ally, a reference to the intelligence-sharing alliance that includes the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
‘When a man like Bolton, who spent decades in government, treats secrets as bargaining chips, it erodes trust at the highest level,’ said a former CIA officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. ‘Our allies are watching. They are wondering if they can still share their most sensitive intelligence with Washington.’
MI5’s warning was blunt: Britain would consider restricting the flow of intelligence to the US if safeguards are not tightened. The agency’s statement, issued late this afternoon, said: ‘We are reviewing the implications of this case. We expect our partners to uphold the same standards of confidentiality that we demand of our own officers.’
Bolton’s legal troubles are far from over. Sources confirm that a grand jury is still investigating other potential leaks involving former Trump officials. The Department of Justice has declined to comment on whether further charges are expected.
For now, Bolton sits in a holding cell at the DC jail, waiting for a sentencing that could end his career as a public figure. But the damage may already be done: one more scar on the already fragile trust between the world’s most powerful intelligence alliances.
