SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Pentagon leaks suspect to remain jailed pending trial
Worcester, United States, May 19 (AFP) May 19, 2023
The US airman accused of leaking top-secret documents will remain in jail pending trial, a federal judge ruled Friday, after prosecutors argued that he posed an ongoing risk to American national security.

Jack Teixeira -- a 21-year-old Air National Guard IT specialist -- allegedly orchestrated the most damaging leak of US classified documents in a decade, posting a trove of highly sensitive information in an online chat forum.

The documents, which soon spread across the internet, pointed to US concern over Ukraine's military capacity against invading Russian forces and showed Washington had apparently spied on allies Israel and South Korea, among other sensitive details.

Prosecutors argued that Teixeira might still have access to classified documents and that "hostile" nations could aid his escape if he was released from prison, also saying he had a history of making "violent" statements.

Teixeira wrote on social media in November that he wanted to "kill a ton of people" because it would be "culling the weak minded," the prosecution wrote in a court document.

Prosecutors also said the airman sought advice from another user about what type of rifle would be easy to operate from the back of an SUV, and that he searched mass shootings online.


- Repeated warnings -


They added that Teixeira owned "a virtual arsenal of weapons, including bolt-action rifles, rifles, AR and AK-style weapons, and a bazooka," with some of the firearms "just feet from his bed."

Teixeira's defense team said their client no longer had access to classified material and that the government was exaggerating the threat he posed, arguing he should be released into his father's custody pending trial.

The airman was arrested last month following a week-long probe and charged with two counts that carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years and five years.

Prosecutors also filed three partially redacted US Air Force memoranda -- dated between September 2022 and February 2023 -- this week that showed Teixeira received repeated warnings for misusing his access to classified information.

He was warned for taking notes on classified information, later potentially ignored a directive to stop "deep diving into intelligence information," and then was seen "viewing content that was not related to his primary duty and was related to the intelligence field," the documents say.

Despite the multiple warnings, Teixeira still held a top secret security clearance at the time of his arrest, according to an FBI affidavit.

Teixeira is accused of the "unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information" and the "unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material."


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Lunar dust poses lower health risk than urban air pollution study shows
Macron says Europe must become 'space power' again
NASA raises chance for asteroid to hit moon

24/7 Energy News Coverage
US urges China to keep Iran from shutting key trade route
Nuclearn Deploys Gamma2 AI to Revolutionize Nuclear Plant Operations
Tesla to build first grid-scale power plant in China

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Israel targets Iran Guards, Tehran prison in fresh wave of strikes
Israel says struck to 'obstruct access routes' to Iran's Fordo
IAEA seeks access to Iran nuclear sites to 'account for' highly enriched uranium stockpiles

24/7 News Coverage
Iran opposition leaders say Khamenei must step down
EU plans to scrap anti-greenwashing rules after pushback
Study: Wars with Hamas and Iran pose health risks for all Israelis



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.