Jack Teixeira, the 22-year-old former Air National Guardsman who leaked hundreds of classified documents online, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Teixeira, who served as an IT specialist at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, was arrested in April 2023 after abusing his privileged position to share highly-sensitive documents with friends he had met via a Discord server focused on video gaming and guns.
The confidential documents, which later leaked out to the wider internet, detailed:
- Details of troop movements, battlefield assessments, intelligence gathering, and details about US and allied support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invading forces.
- Information about US military activities in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific, including assessments of allies and adversaries.
- Sources and methods used by US agencies to gather intelligence, potentially putting future information collection at risk.
The leak triggered a major investigation into the state of national security and prompted reforms within the US military to stymie future breaches.
Initially, Teixeira committed classified information he viewed during his working day to memory, and then transcribed it at home to share online. However, prosecutors described how his activities had later become more brazen, with the IT worker printing hard copies of classified documents on an “isolated and seldom used printer” at the airbase.
It appears that Teixeira’s behaviour was related more by a desire to brag to his online friends about his access to classified information, rather than something more nefarious.
Nonetheless, it is clear that he knew the seriousness of what he was doing.
In March 2022, an associate of Teixeira asked if he could post details of troop losses in Ukraine on a Discord channel called “Thug Shaker Central.” Teixeira’s response? “If I want to go to jail for the rest of my life, yeah.”
In court, prosecutors argued that Teixeira’s actions were serious: “The documents and information Teixeira posted to social media are highly classified and contain vital national defense information. By posting intelligence products on the social media platform Discord to feed his own ego and impress his anonymous friends, Teixeira caused exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States. The scope of his betrayal is breathtaking. The amount of damage he caused is immeasurable.”
For months Teixeira’s behaviour went unnoticed, despite supervisors observing on multiple occasions that he had viewed intelligence material considered beyond his authorised access level. A subsequent investigation found that Teixeira’s supervisors had failed to properly document the incidents, or report them to security officials, allowing them to continue unchecked.
Teixeira was apprehended in April 2023 by armed FBI agents, after Discord handed his address over to investigators.
Spooked by media interest in the leaks and perhaps realising that he might be in serious trouble, Teixeira had smashed his hard drives and other computer equipment and hidden some of them in the garbage behind his home.
Teixeira pled guilty to six counts of willfully retaining and transmitting national defence information, and has now been sentenced to 15 years in jail.
“This sentencing is a stark warning to all those entrusted with protecting national defense information: betray that trust, and you will be held accountable,” said FBI director Christopher Wray. “Jack Teixeira’s criminal conduct placed our nation, our troops, and our allies at great risk. The FBI will continue to work diligently with our partners to protect classified information and ensure that those who turn their backs on their country face justice.”
In the wake of the incident, 15 Air National Guard leaders have faced disciplinary action, and the US Air Force says it has implemented reforms to protocols related to accessing classified data.