FBI arrests 21-year-old Air National Guardsman suspected of leaking classified documents
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • last year • 104 commentsBy: Ken Dilanian, Michael Kosnar and Rebecca Shabad (NBC News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON — Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested by federal authorities Thursday in connection with their investigation into classified documents that were leaked on the internet.
FBI agents took Teixeira into custody Thursday afternoon "without incident," Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in brief remarks at the Justice Department, which has been conducting a criminal investigation.
"Today, the Justice Department arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information. Teixeira is an employee of the United States Air Force National Guard," Garland said.
Teixeira will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, said Garland, who added that the investigation is ongoing. He declined to take questions from the media.
Jack Teixeira.via Facebook
FBI agents arrested Teixeira at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts, the bureau's office in Boston said in a statement. The residence is more than an hour from the military base where he worked.
"The FBI is continuing to conduct authorized law enforcement activity at the residence," the statement said. "Since late last week the FBI has aggressively pursued investigative leads, and today's arrest exemplifies our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing, and holding accountable those who betray our country's trust and put our national security at risk."
Military records show that Teixeira holds the rank of airman first class and has been in uniform since he entered the Air National Guard in September 2019. He has been based at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod and is assigned as a cyber transport systems journeyman.
A Facebook post in July from the 102nd Intelligence Wing, which is headquartered at that base, congratulated a person with Teixeira's name on a promotion to airman first class.
U.S. officials had been searching for the source of the leak, which exposed potentially hundreds of pages of intelligence about Russian efforts in Ukraine and spying on U.S. allies.
The Pentagon press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen Pat Ryder, declined to confirm the suspect's identity at a briefing Thursday and referred reporters to the Justice Department because it's a "law enforcement matter" and an ongoing investigation, he said.
The Defense Department is "working around the clock" with the intelligence community, Ryder said, "to better understand the scope, scale of these leaks." Ryder also said the Pentagon is "very limited" in what it can say about the documents themselves.
Aerial video shows arrest of Pentagon leaks suspect
Asked about the intelligence activities of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, where Teixeira worked, Ryder said, "In general, intelligence wings throughout the Air Force support what you might imagine — Air Force intelligence requirements worldwide to support a variety of types of intelligence missions and requirements, which include active guard and reserve components."
The classified documents from the Defense Department were found online last month — how long they had been on the internet and the total number that have been posted remain unclear. They revealed details about U.S. spying on Russia's war efforts in Ukraine and secret assessments of Ukraine's combat power, as well as intelligence-gathering on America's allies, including South Korea and Israel, NBC News has reported.
President Joe Biden suggested Thursday morning that officials appeared to be nearing a breakthrough in their investigation.
"There's a full-blown investigation going on, as you know, with the Intelligence Committee and the Justice Department, and they're getting close," Biden told reporters in Ireland.
Two White House officials later confirmed that the president has been briefed about Teixeira's arrest.
The suspect's identity was first reported Thursday by The New York Times, which said he was the leader of a small online gaming group where the documents were first leaked.
The Washington Post has reported about the gaming group, identifying its leader only as "OG." The main source for the story was a member of the group on the platform Discord, a minor who was granted anonymity. The Post said it reviewed about 300 photos of classified documents the suspect is alleged to have leaked, most of which the report said have not been made public.
NBC News has not yet verified the details about the gaming group or that it was where the classified documents were first shared.
In a statement after Teixeira's arrest, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed said: "This was a major security breach that cannot be allowed to happen again. Leaking this trove of classified information endangered our military and intelligence professionals and undermined the security of our allies and partners.
"Anyone with a security clearance who betrays their country by purposefully mishandling classified documents or disclosing classified materials must be held accountable," Reed, D-R.I., added.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, said in a statement that his panel will "examine why this happened, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and how to prevent future leaks."
Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were briefed about the disclosure last week, administration officials said. That was when the White House learned about the existence of the documents in the public domain, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters this week.
According to Bellingcat, the online open-source investigative group, the documents appeared in early March on the Discord social media app. Some documents may have appeared as early as January, the group said.
Eoghan Macguire, a researcher and editor who helped break the story at Bellingcat, said the documents were passed around three separate Discord servers before they were broadly made public on the extremist site 4chan.
Kirby said that the Pentagon is "leading an interagency effort here to review whatever national security implications might come out of all this" and that the Justice Department is leading a criminal investigation.
He also said it appears some of the classified documents had been altered from their original form. Kirby said Biden administration officials spent last weekend contacting "relevant allies and partners" and "at very high levels" to reassure them about the leaks.
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There is nothing quite like impressing one's friends. I used to limit it to winning money.
gun nut, religious wacko, and a racist too. what a stellar trumpster he is for being so young. add treason and espionage to the list of clownservative enviable merit badges he's attained so far.
what a patriot!
he should probably sell everything he owns and get implants before his stay at club fed...
... and buy a skirt and heels.
Since he is already a tiny 'pretty boy' racist American traitor, dressing up won't be necessary.
If he ever sees the light of day again his ass will look like a sewer pipe.
yeah, as a gun and god loving racist incel, he'll probably get along great in there...
And now the worst of the GOP Populists are defending him:
and
I don't see either of those statements equalling a defense.
What I find interesting is:
1) how vulnerable American Intelligence secrets have become.
2) how nonchalant president Biden was about the importance of the intelligence.
3) how damning the intelligence was to the administration's narrative.
It's not a condemnation.
I'm sure that's on everyone's mind right now. There is supposed to be a level of personal trust. That's why they have background checks.
Politics.
Personally I hope it ultimately leads to the Dems electing a better candidate in next year's primary, but this early in the game I wouldn't bet on anything. As partisan as everything is this will likely further entrench the partisans.
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What dumbass forgot to add was that he is also a racist. The perfect populist.
I'm certain that's why MTG is now tripping over herself to help out.
Aw! You failed again! There is not a single racist quote of his or anyone elses in that little screed. Are we simply taking Sisi Jiang's word that there were racist jokes found on a group site?
We go to any length to charge racism, don't we?
You also failed to open the article agan.
Did you bother to read his "evidence?"
Instead of smearing everyone you hate, take the time to READ!
It's widely reported his online group, he was a leader of, shared racist memes. Also the WaPo is reporting a video of the accused at a shooting range with a large rifle, making racial and antisemitic slurs on camera.
Vic, you of all people saying that I failed again is a most ignorant comment, but also not surprising. Yes, I posted the article that stated it and here is another:
No, just pointing out where it applies. It seems that you go to any length to deny racism.
The Great Karnac speaks...LMAO.
The Washington Post reported that they had seen the video of the suspect at a shooting range yelling racial slurs as he blasted at the targets.
Are you calling those reporters liars?
That is how Pravda used to begin it's stories.
Where is any evidence in that hate screed?
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Yes, I posted the article
Yes, you did and it was a pig in a poke, totally devoid of any evidence.
You will probably regret that comment.
I don't hide behind anything, Vic that is your MO.
You really have gone off the deep end, Vic, a truly sad comment that shows how far down the rabbit hole you've gone.
LOL, yes the WaPo reporters are liars as is everyone else that you disagree with.
So you're a fan of Pravda?
Why so quick to question the reporting, Vic?
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told ya so
So successful were they that FOX adopted all their methods.
I've rolled rice paper joints that had thicker skin...
Use Bible paper for a joint
done that, too much ink...
a gun loving, god fearing white supremacist in boston massachusetts? oh say it isn't so...
Not so surprising, Boston and MA are very blue but also have a continuing history of virulent racism.
Someone here who refers to themselves in the third person resides there I believe and he is RED.
Huh?
Are you against individuals picking the pronouns that they use to refer to themselves?
I prefer first person - plural. As in, the Royal “we.”
I’m with you.
Usually, psychopaths refer to themselves in the third person
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I'm not the one referring to myself in the third person.
Why do you care what pronouns someone self identifies with?
What makes you think I do?
and how is referring to oneself in the third person a pronoun?
Why do you endlessly ask me stupid fucking questions?
I didn't understand your comment in 2.2.28
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Yes, you remain a mystery to me.
Why do you like to defend the indefensible?
I suppose defending the indefensible is habitual for Retrumplicans.
It's called video.
Trump said many times "I didn't say that"
When all one has to do is watch the videos of him saying that.
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... you'll get a headache inhaling it. just like the yellow pages aren't just like wheat straw papers... >cough< >cough<
Always the defense of the indefensible on top of their PD&D, it has become their trademark.
this kid and his story are a way for trumpsters to attack those that want to see their demigod prosecuted for his more egregious handling of classified documents.
“…this kid and his story…”
Rittenhouse 2.0.
And yet the apologists will come out in droves in their acrimony and accusations.
meh, anymore it's a trumpster footrace to be the most contrary to logic, reason, and sanity...
Greene and Boebert are way out in front of most of the other women in the GOP.
Unfortunately, they are going in the wrong direction.
blowbert is going down in '24, and not in the way she's most accustomed...
Snort.
Yeah, I saw a clip of this on YouTube last night. As far as I know, there is zero evidence that this guy was engaged in whistle blowing. More like he was interested in impressing people on the internet. I think Tucker pulled this out of his ass.
That's where he gets most of his ideas.
... and his show's guests.
Jake can expect to live the rest of his life in Leavenworth. But how in the world did he gain access to the intelligence to begin with?
He's an IT Specialist in working at an Intelligence unit. You can bet there will be a serious investigation of the unit, the unit command and this guy's command.
Bid deal. The Defense Department should have the very best protections..TO BEGIN WITH!
Do you know what the Defense Dept security and procedures are? Lay them out here for us so we can debate them, Vic.
Of course he doesn't! He just knows the DOD buys big planes and boats
It's also important that they are shiny as well as big.
giggle
If the digital files are classified, they are not on the same network as unclassified files. There has to be a long list of failures for a 25B (Army IT Specialist) soldier to access these files.
Oops! That is what Leavenworth is for.
The new "all volunteer army" can attract this type.
maybe he looked in an open box in the pool maintenance room at mar-a-lardo...
Or Biden's garage. Maybe he was there with Biden's crackhead kid.
I imagine the network access he may have needed. The IT sections in most units work on both the classified and unclassified network systems. A few bored minutes is all it takes to find information. I imagine he obtained the files in the same fashion Bradley Manning.
Excellent question. Currently, he's a 21-year-old low-tier airman, but he somehow got Top Secret clearance when he was only 19. Something doesn't smell right.
Why would an ANG unit need access to geopolitical intelligence assessments? The type of material that was leaked doesn't appear to be of any value for operation of an air wing; even an intelligence air wing.
I'm guessing it came down to impressing his friends and/or strategy gaming. He will now have a long time to ask himself that same question. I'm sure that if he lives long enough, he'll never forgive himself.
The motivations are plausible and believable. But that doesn't answer the question.
How does an intelligence assessment that Serbia is providing arms to Ukraine or that Egypt is considering providing arms to Russia contribute to an intelligence air wing performing its mission? Why does an ANG need access to geopolitical intelligence assessments?
The DOJ will focus attention on Teixeira to bolster it's case against Trump. The investigation is being conducted by civil authorities and not military authorities (which is another oddity). But that doesn't tell us why an airman at an ANG has the same access as a President to this type of intelligence material. If this type of intelligence is available at such low levels then imagine what a concerted espionage effort could accomplish.
scratch another trump voter for 2024...
maybe he's banking on a longshot pardon from somebody with the same problem winning in '24.
That would be a pertinent question and one that I think the Pentagon should answer. I think we have a lot of questions on what is and who gets classified information. Are they classifying too much and/or are they distributing it too wide?
We already know "they" have no accountability process once it get's distributed - I mean between Clinton, Biden, Pence and Trump they have already told us there is no process to track it. Leaving this up to personal integrity also seems to be failing. The Pentagon, the State Dept and the Dept of Homeland Security need to get their shit together and do better. The Congressional oversite committees need to stop playing partisan games and actually start doing their jobs and come up with some new regulations too, I think.
The ANG plays a large role in defense of our nation. Of course they need access to intelligence. They will need it if they get activated
I don't know the answers and won't pretend to. There are facts and variables we don't know and likely shouldn't know for security reasons.
Playing devils advocate here I'll ask - To they need ALL that info if they aren't activated? Shouldn't they just know what they need to know only to preform their current mission. For example - Does a unit in Germany need intel on N.Korean troop movements?
Another - we don't yet know how this guy got his hands on the intel. Some reports are assuming it was because he had access to unit computers for his job. IF THIS IS TRUE, then we have to question why it's being stored on computers, how long, and who has access to the actual intel? Coming from my own IT background. I have access to everything in my company being a network admin, but it's not necessary for me to do my job. I don't need to see payroll to make sure printers are working or read the bosses notes on employee status to do Windows Updates. There are simple ways to develop levels of access.
What is the mission of an intelligence air wing? The air wing exists to perform a specific function. What is that function?
Air wings are equipped to collect dots and, in some cases, to plant spurious dots. When was the function of connecting the dots pushed down to the level of an air wing?
I don't know.
You're making assumptions.
Understanding the mission and function of an air wing would be critical to answering questions on who gets what types of classified information. What was leaked seems to be more than just classified information, too. Classified information doesn't necessarily fall under the umbrella of intelligence information.
Maintenance manuals contain classified information. Clearly an air wing would need access to that classified information to maintain its aircraft. Classifications are not created equal. Just because information is classified doesn't mean the information is intelligence information. And leaking classified information from a maintenance manual would not be as damaging as leaking geopolitical intelligence assessments.
Of course, but even much of that should be classified information, don't you think. At least at the "need to know" level.
I am well aware of how classified information works. I maintained secret clearances in the Army and Coast Guard.
I thought you were a veteran. I'm going to take a clue from you and just say "I don't know"
Maybe that's part of the problem. The members of an air wing would need to know the mission and function of the air wing. By classifying that information at a higher level; lower level people need higher clearance. The result would be clearance creep.
I think that this kid is a network tech, not an intel analyst. He supported the base’s portion of the SIPR and JWICS networks.
Another assumption. We don't know. You are asking the right questions, I think. We just can't assume we have any of those variables. It's possible, but it's just as possible we are wrong. AND these things shouldn't be public knowledge either.
Yes, that's what is being reported.
That begs the question about the ultimate purpose of classifying material and information. Are things classified just so the public won't know? Seems like that could create a problem with oversight of intelligence activities.
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I blame truman for giving the nazi's the GOP as part of the WWII peace treaty...
Do you think that was a smart statement--or even true?
Wrong question! Try again.
B ZZZZZZ.
Wrong answer, please don't try again.
And WHAT do you think the 'right' question is?
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Oh darn, I must have burst a lead balloon.
Probably beats answering any questions!
... so does being an election denying trump republican.
Exactly
If he was the lowest on the totem pole he may have been running backups. Since backups are often run at "off hours" (night shift) there was probably minimal (or a lack) of supervision. He had access to everything he was backing up.