21-year-old guardsman indicted on six counts after allegedly posting classified documents online

Originally Published: 15 JUN 23 17:13 ET
Updated: 15 JUN 23 18:21 ET
By Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — The Air National Guardsman accused of posting a trove of classified documents to social media has been formally indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to national defense, the Justice Department announced on Thursday.

Jack Teixeira, a junior enlisted airman who worked within the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, was arrested in April and charged under the Espionage Act. He allegedly took classified information from Otis Air National Guard Base and is accused of posting the information to Discord, a popular social media platform among gamers.

“Teixeira also posted images of classified documents to the social media platform, which bore standard classification markings – including ‘SECRET,’ ‘TOP SECRET,’ and SCI designations – indicating that they contained highly classified United States government information,” the Justice Department said in its announcement of the indictment.

The 21-year-old Massachusetts native has not yet entered a formal plea and remains in federal custody.

A judge ruled last month that Teixeira would remain detained while awaiting trial, saying he has a “lack of integrity” and stressing that he put countless people in the US and abroad “at risk” in allegedly leaking the documents.

“Who did he put at risk? You can make a list as long as a phone book: soldiers, medical personnel … Ukrainian personnel, Ukrainian soldiers,” Magistrate Judge David Hennessy said at the time. “We don’t know how many people he put at risk. I’m not making any judgment on this information … but the government has said if you disclose this information, you put the United States serious risk.”

“And the defendant’s response to that was, ‘IDGAF,’” the judge said, invoking language Teixeira used in messages discussing leaking the documents.

Defense lawyers for Teixeira have argued he didn’t expect classified information that he posted on Discord to be further spread around the internet. Prosecutors, his lawyers had previously argued, were being “hyperbolic” in their assessment of whether he could risk further compromising classified information.

As CNN previously reported, memos revealed that Air Force leadership repeatedly warned Teixeira about inappropriately accessing classified intelligence. The revelation left former and current defense personnel baffled at how he retained his security clearance and was able to continue sharing classified information for months.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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