John M. Bolton (October 5, 1901 – July 9, 1936) was an assassinated American businessman who served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives.

[5][1] Bolton was shot to death following a car chase in Chicago shortly after midnight on July 9, 1936.

[6] The Associated Press reported that he may have been assassinated by organized crime figures due to his efforts to legalize some forms of betting,[6] and the Chicago Tribune attributed his death to "gangsters" in a page-one story.

[7] The Tribune also published photos of Bolton's car, which had crashed at Washtenaw Avenue and Harrison Street, and noted that Bolton had a brother who had been a prohibition gangster.

[8] A follow-up story by the United Press reported that Bolton may have been killed because he was unsuccessful in helping some prisoners in the Joliet Penitentiary get parole.