Jack Teixeira, the suspected leaker of hundreds of Pentagon records, was charged Friday with violating the Espionage Act and another statute that prohibits the unauthorized removal of classified documents.
Teixeira, who appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston after his Thursday arrest, did not enter a plea.
Espioange Act charges carry up to 10 years in prison.
Teixeira, 21, was arrested in connection with the posting of numerous records on “Thug Shaker Central,” a group on Discord where more than 100 classified documents on topics ranging from Ukraine to intelligence gleaned from spying on allies first appeared.
Documents dealing with intelligence on Ukraine’s battle with Russia from as far back as February had been percolating on the site before spreading to other social media platforms.
The charges for Teixeira under the Espionage Act include those for taking and copying national defense information as well as a provision of the law for willfully transmitting information that “could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.”
Teixeira was also charged under a law dealing with any improper removal of classified documents.
Though a low-ranking member of the military, he served in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, a position that came with a top secret security clearance and access to the Pentagon’s Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System.
His identity was uncovered in just a matter of days following a New York Times story detailing the existence of the documents, as well as their spread onto mainstream sites.
One detail in Teixeira’s charging documents shows that he attempted to search U.S. intelligence databases the same day the Times story broke to ascertain whether any intelligence agencies had identified the leaker.
“On April 6, 2023, TEIXEIRA used his government computer to search classified intelligence reporting for the word ‘leak,’” the documents state.
“Accordingly, there is reason to believe that TEIXEIRA was searching for classified reporting regarding the U.S. Intelligence Community’s assessment of the identity of the individual who transmitted classified national defense information.”
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JUST IN: Alleged Pentagon leaker charged under Espionage Act https://t.co/0MrTGnepDO pic.twitter.com/Wj9yL5AkjM
— The Hill (@thehill) April 14, 2023
These people truly hate America. It’s odd, they pick a dork traitor gamer over this country. pic.twitter.com/8AXsGLnzFL
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) April 13, 2023
I was against banning Fox from bases as a blanket policy, but this would be a good time for @SecDef to have someone talk to base commanders about putting more variety in base-controlled TVs in public places. Carlson is applauding the theft of classified material. https://t.co/ti39EP6hWg
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 14, 2023
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