Apparently the leaker of all those top secret documents has been identified and nabbed, as an Air National Guard member in Massachusetts.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/13/u-s-airman-named-suspect-online-leak-top-secret-documents/11657403002/

From what I have read in other sources, this guy was neither disgruntled not anti-government etc. He just wanted to “impress his buddies” on a web chat room by proving that he was the real deal, and had access to stuff that John Q. Public does not. Portrayed himself as a real player.

Well he’ll really be playing, from a jail cell for a REALLY long time. What a maroon.  ::)

Now all that said, heads need to roll in the intelligence community. There is no legitimate reason for a guy like him to have access to intelligence that covered such a wide swath of countries and topics. Security of these documents was as loose as a goose.

I really wonder why someone like him had access to those files.

I really wonder why someone like him had access to those files.
In the olden days, treason, a betrayal of a trust (treachery) was sentence for execution.

In the olden days, treason, a betrayal of a trust (treachery) was sentence for execution.


These days in the US, if you get caught leaking, you claim to be of the opposite gender and the POTUS lets you out of jail early.

In the olden days, treason, a betrayal of a trust (treachery) was sentence for execution.


In the USA treason has a specific constitutional meaning - making war on the United States or giving aid and comfort to its enemies.  That could include betrayal of trust

Jack Teixeira could be looking at 15 years in prison if found guilty on all counts. In today's hearing, he was charged with unauthorised retention and transmission of classified documents or materials.

He faces up to 10 years in prison for the first charge, and a maximum of five years behind bars for the second charge of transmitting classified materials, the judge said.

Teixeira will be held until a detention hearing set for next Wednesday. He's not yet entered a plea.

Barely of legal drinking age in the US and he just ruined his entire future. What was he thinking?

President Joe Biden has released a statement on the charges against Jack Teixeira.

"I commend the rapid action taken by law enforcement to investigate and respond to the recent dissemination of classified U.S. government documents," he says. He insists that the "validity" of the leaked documents is still being established - but that military and intelligence officials have been told to "take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information".

President Joe Biden has released a statement on the charges against Jack Teixeira.

"I commend the rapid action taken by law enforcement to investigate and respond to the recent dissemination of classified U.S. government documents," he says. He insists that the "validity" of the leaked documents is still being established - but that military and intelligence officials have been told to "take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information".


Yeah, sure… they launched a massive investigation and arrested the dude for leaking fake documents.  ::).

Of course the documents were valid/real.

What a cluster.

Barely of legal drinking age in the US and he just ruined his entire future. What was he thinking?


Bill Maher made some hilarious jokes about this dork on his show tonight.

"You know where he posted this information? In an online chatroom for video gamers! So we know one thing about the motivation. It wasn't to impress girls".  ;D  ;D  ;D

Maher went on to call him "the intel incel", "Jason Bourne Yesterday" and said of his photograph,  "it looks like someone used the de-aging filter on Mayor Pete."  ;D  ;D  ;D

I really wonder why someone like him had access to those files.



...From what I have read in other sources, this guy was neither disgruntled not anti-government etc. He just wanted to “impress his buddies” on a web chat room by proving that he was the real deal, and had access to stuff that John Q. Public does not. Portrayed himself as a real player...


As someone who's applied for a DOD clearance before (I won't further elaborate) I can tell you, they don't (or shouldn't if they do) hand those clearances out with a wink and a handshake.  Anyone applying for it is thoroughly trained that unauthorized distribution or disclosure is a criminal act that earns you prison time.  He would have known that (or certainly should have).  One thing I didn't see yet is how long he'd been in his position; there's such a thing as "interim clearance" that can be granted when clearance processing is backlogged (which happens a lot).  I wonder if he had an interim clearance.

In general, his youth would actually be a plus for him getting a clearance, as he would lack many of the "red flags" people accumulate as they get older.  Such processing looks at many things, among them a person's financial background.  These days a person's social media footprint is also examined, but probably not for an interim clearance, just for a full clearance (as it likely takes time to get to that level of examination).