A Massachusetts Air National Guard member, Jack Teixeira, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday for leaking classified military documents about the war in Ukraine. The leaked documents, which included sensitive information about troop movements and supply provision, were shared with other users on social media platform Discord.
Prosecutors said that Teixeira’s actions put national security at risk, endangered fellow military members, and damaged US relationships with its allies. Acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy stated that the sentence sends a powerful message to individuals who hold top-secret clearances and threaten national security by illegally disseminating classified information.
Teixeira pleaded guilty in March to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act. His attorney, Michael Bachrach, argued that a 15-year sentence was “very severe” but better than taking the case to trial, where Teixeira would have faced up to 30 years in prison.
Teixeira’s defense team highlighted his autism diagnosis and argued that he was not trying to harm the United States, but rather share information with friends about world events. However, prosecutors countered that Teixeira understood what he was doing was wrong and did not suffer from an intellectual disability.
The sentence has raised concerns over the country’s ability to protect its most closely guarded secrets. The Pentagon has tightened controls on classified information and disciplined members who failed to report suspicious behavior regarding Teixeira.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/jack-teixeira-pentagon-leak-sentence-e67e18f310101b2f1c894ca1b550a3eb