US guardsman Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to leaking highly classified documents about Ukraine war
A US Air Force guardsman has pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about the war in Ukraine and other national security secrets.
Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty under a deal with prosecutors that calls for him to serve at least 11 years in prison.
Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defence information under the Espionage Act.
The 22-year-old admitted illegally collecting some of the nation's most closely guarded secrets and sharing them with other users on Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games.
He has been in custody since April 2023 when he was arrested at his mother's house.
The leak exposed secret assessments of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. Teixeira also admitting posting information about a US adversary's plans to harm US forces serving overseas.
Teixeira will be sentenced in September. US District Judge Indira Talwani said she would decide then whether to formally accept the agreement, which calls for a prison sentence between 11 and nearly 17 years. Prosecutors said they plan to seek the high end of that range.
“Mr. Teixeira callously disregarded the national security of the United States and he betrayed his solemn oath to defend the country and the trust of the American people he swore to protect,” Matt Olsen, assistant attorney general for national security, told reporters after the hearing.
The security breach caused alarm over America’s ability to protect its most closely guarded secrets and forced the Biden administration to scramble to try to contain diplomatic and military fallout.
The leaks embarrassed the Pentagon, which tightened controls to safeguard classified information and disciplined members found to have intentionally failed to take required action about Teixeira’s suspicious behaviour.
Teixeira smiled at his father before being led out of the courtroom with his hands and legs shackled, wearing orange jail garb and black rosary beads around his neck.
Michael Bachrach, an attorney for Teixeira, told reporters they will push for a sentence of 11 years. Bachrach described Teixeira as a “kid,” adding that the defence will show at sentencing that his youth played a significant role in his conduct.
“He is significantly remorseful for his conduct. He has accepted full responsibility for his conduct," Bachrach said.
Authorities said he first typed out classified documents he accessed and then began sharing photographs of files marked SECRET and TOP SECRET. Prosecutors also said he tried to cover his tracks before his arrest, and authorities found a smashed tablet, laptop and Xbox gaming console in a bin at his house.
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