(RightWing.org) – On April 13, FBI agents arrested Jack Teixeira, an Air Force National Guard member, in connection with its investigation into the unauthorized removal and transmission of highly classified Defense Department documents and information beginning in late 2022. The Massachusetts guardsman allegedly leaked the data with members of a group on an online chat service called Discord. Recent court disclosures revealed the Pentagon leaker had a disturbing history related to his alleged crime.
On May 18, the Associated Press published an article detailing court papers filed the previous day by federal prosecutors to convince a judge to order Teixeira’s continued detention as he awaits trial. The US Magistrate Judge for the District of Massachusetts held a hearing the following day and issued a ruling ordering his pretrial confinement without bail.
The prosecutors submitted documents showing a frightening pattern of behavior by Teixeira. His Air National Guard superiors had expressed repeated concerns about the guardsman’s handling and viewing of classified materials.
New: Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira’s superiors raised concerns internally on multiple occasions about his handling or viewing of classified information before his arrest, prosecutors said in a new court filing https://t.co/XaizMySrXN
— Alanna Durkin Richer (@aedurkinricher) May 18, 2023
Prosecutors submitted two memorandums from 2022 detailing Teixeira’s alleged infractions. The first notice advised that a staff sergeant (SSgt K) had observed Airman First Class (A1C) Teixeira taking notes on classified materials on September 15, 2022. SSgt K asked him if he intended to shred the document. The NCO reported the situation to the master sergeant (MSgt H), and both men discussed the incident with Teixeira. He was issued a cease-and-desist order at that time.
The second memo, dated October 27, 2022, revealed that Teixeira was “potentially ignoring” the cease-and-desist order to stop conducting deep-dive searches for classified material he was given on September 15, 2022.
On October 22, 2022, Teixeira had reportedly asked “very specific questions” during a daily briefing conducted by SSgt C. MSgt H instructed the guardsman to adhere to the cease-and-desist order and focus on his job duties. He also offered him the opportunity to cross-train for another military occupational specialty, but Teixeira declined the offer.
Federal prosecutors have charged Teixeira with two felonies — the unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense data (18 U.S.C. 793, b and d) and the unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material (18 U.S.C. 1924). He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Copyright 2023, RightWing.org
