Alleged Pentagon leaker charged under Espionage Act
by Rebecca Beitsch - 04/14/23 11:20 AM ET
Jack Teixeira, the suspected leaker of hundreds of Pentagon records, was charged Friday with violating the Espionage Act and another statute that prohibits the unauthorized removal of classified documents.
Teixeira, who appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston after his Thursday arrest, did not enter a plea.
Espionage Act charges carry up to 10 years in prison.
Teixeira, 21, was arrested in connection with the posting of numerous records on “Thug Shaker Central,” a group on Discord where more than 100 classified documents on topics ranging from Ukraine to intelligence gleaned from spying on allies first appeared.
Documents dealing with intelligence on Ukraine’s battle with Russia from as far back as February had been percolating on the site before spreading to other social media platforms.
The charges for Teixeira under the Espionage Act include those for taking and copying national defense information as well as a provision of the law for willfully transmitting information that “could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.”
Teixeira was also charged under a law dealing with any improper removal of classified documents.
more
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/3950584-alleged-pentagon-leaker-charged-under-espionage-act/
