Jack Teixeira sentenced to 15 years for leaking classified Pentagon secrets
A U.S. District Court judge sentenced a Massachusetts Air National Guard member to 15 years in prison Tuesday after he leaked classified information about the country’s war strategy in Ukraine on the social platform Discord.
Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty in March to six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense after he posted more than 100 classified documents on topics ranging from Ukraine to intelligence gleaned from spying on allies.
The leak uncovered critical staging for troops in Ukraine and equipment supplied to the foreign force.
Teixeira, 22, apologized for his actions and admitted guilt for violating the Espionage Act.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for all the harm that I brought and caused,” Teixeira said in court, as reported by the AP.
“I understand all the responsibility and consequences fall upon my shoulders alone and accept whatever that will bring.”
Prosecutors were determined to seek the highest sentence for the young service member to serve as an example to others in the military.
“Jack Teixeira repeatedly shared classified national defense information on a social media platform in an attempt to impress anonymous friends on the internet – instead, it has landed him a 15 year sentence in federal prison,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement released Tuesday.
“Teixeira’s profound breach of trust endangered our country’s national security and that of our allies. This sentence demonstrates the seriousness of the obligation to protect our country’s secrets and the safety of the American people.”
Prosecutors initially sought a roughly 16.5-year sentence from Judge Indira Talwani.
“It will be a cautionary tale for the men and women in the U.S. military,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Dolan said, according to the Associated Press.
“They are going to be told this is what happens if you break your promise, if you betray your country. … They will know the defendant’s name. They will know the sentence the court imposes.”
However, Teixeira’s defense attorneys argued 11 years was sufficient, citing his autism diagnosis as a reason for the security breach.
“Instead, his intent was to educate his friends about world events to make certain they were not misled by misinformation,” the attorneys wrote according to the AP. “To Jack, the Ukraine war was his generation’s World War II or Iraq, and he needed someone to share the experience with.”
The discord group Teixeira led, Thug Shaker Central, reportedly included about 20 to 30 members, including Ukrainians and foreign nationals. Some of the content shared in the group was labeled “NOFORN” indicating it should not be shared with foreigners.
The realization that top secret material was being leaked on the group set off a search among intelligence agencies, prompting the Pentagon to cull distribution lists for its intelligence reports as the FBI sought to identify the leaker through a digital trail along with clues included in the photographs of intelligence documents shared online.
Teixeira is now designated as an unpaid Air National Guard Member, according to AP. He was previously assigned to the Massachusetts 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base as a cyber transport systems specialist where he oversaw communication security programs.
“Mr. Teixeira is responsible for engaging in one of the most significant leaks of classified documents and information in United States history, which resulted in exceptionally grave and long-lasting damage to the national security of the United States,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy said in a statement.
“He exploited his Top-Secret security clearance to share critical defense information online. In doing so, he exposed sensitive defense information involving our allies, putting our intelligence community and our troops at risk. It is vital that our classified information remains just that – classified.”
Rebecca Beitsch contributed to this report.
Updated at 6:52 p.m. EST
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
