UPDATE
Jun 15, 2023 6:50 PM CDT
In a new indictment, Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who is already in jail for posting classified information on social media, has been charged with six counts of illegal retention and transmission of national defense information. The Washington Post reports that if convicted, Teixeira could face imprisonment. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the indictment, stating that Teixeira had access to classified defense information that could potentially cause significant harm to national security if shared.
May 18, 2023 11:26 AM CDT
Jack Teixeira’s lawyer is requesting his release on bond while awaiting trial on allegations of sharing government secrets online. The lawyer argues that Teixeira, a 21-year-old who lives with his parents, is not as dangerous as the government portrays him to be. According to Brendan Kelley, Teixeira intended to share information obtained through his IT job at a military base with a small group of online friends. However, prosecutors claim that classified information was posted on “multiple” Discord servers, one of which had at least 150 users, including admitted foreign nationals. They also state that Teixeira continued to leak information unrelated to his job, even after being warned.
Teixeira, who allegedly had an “arsenal” of weapons and expressed a desire to commit a mass shooting, was observed taking notes on classified material in September and ordered to stop, but defied the cease-and-desist order the following month, according to an Air Force memorandum. He was found viewing intelligence content again in February. The filing also mentions chats where Teixeira claimed to possess extensive knowledge and compared himself to Chelsea Manning, the former US Army soldier who leaked classified information to WikiLeaks.
Prosecutors argue that Teixeira has already caused significant damage to US national security and poses a continued threat. They believe he may have destroyed evidence and could still possess classified documents, potentially making him a target for foreign governments. Teixeira’s defense team disputes these claims and states that the weapons found in his home were airsoft guns. Teixeira’s father has vowed to keep him under video surveillance if he is granted bond. Teixeira is scheduled for a court appearance on Friday to determine if he will be released. (Read more Jack Teixeira stories.)
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