Global Courant
Former National Guardsman is accused of leaking numerous classified national security documents online.
The United States Air National Guardsman, suspected of leaking classified national security documents on social media, has entered a not guilty plea to federal crimes.
Jack Teixeira, 21, appeared in a federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts, Wednesday, just days after being indicted by a grand jury on six counts of willful custody and transfer of national defense information.
Standing next to his lawyers in an orange prison uniform, Teixeira replied, “Not guilty, Your Honor,” as the judge read out the charges against him. A trial date has yet to be set.
Teixeira is accused of posting photos and transcribed copies of sensitive material to the social media forum Discord revealing national security information related to the war in Ukraine and other military interests.
After Teixeira’s leak and arrest in April, the Biden administration rushed to reassure its allies that the US is capable of protecting its national security secrets.
Teixeira is being held in a federal prison in Plymouth County, south of Boston, awaiting trial. A judge rejected a bid from defense lawyers to reconsider the suspect’s detention order.
“The most important thing is that Jack will now have his day in court,” his family said in a statement Wednesday. “We hope Jack gets the fair and just treatment he deserves.”
Investigators believe the young man was the leader of a private Discord chat group titled Thug Shaker Central, where members shared jokes, their favorite types of weapons and views on international conflict.
The Justice Department also said Teixeira had a history of disturbing comments online. For example, he posted in November that he would like to see a large number of people killed in a “culling of the feeble-minded”.
Authorities say Teixeira, who worked as something of a military IT specialist, began sharing military secrets with the group in January.
To ask have been raised about how the government grants security status to personnel — and why Teixeira had access to such sensitive material. Memorandums filed with the court show that Teixeira has been reprimanded on several occasions for mishandling or improperly viewing classified materials.
In a statement released last week, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Teixeira had been given access to information that “may reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally serious harm to national security if shared.”
Each count Teixeira faces carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, meaning he could face up to 60 years in prison.
The U.S. government has a history of diligently pursuing those who share national security secrets, even if they are deemed to be of public value or expose government misconduct.
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