FBI arrest Air National Guardsman linked to Pentagon classified documents leak
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The FBI has arrested a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman on Thursday who they suspect is involved in the leak of hundreds of classified documents from the Pentagon.
Multiple reports have identified the leaker as Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, with his arrest to occur sometime later on Thursday in Massachusetts.
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The Pentagon declined to comment on the leaker’s identity at Thursday’s press briefing.
“We are aware of the press reports regarding a potential suspect in the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into unauthorized disclosures of documents appearing to emanate from throughout the intelligence community,” said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon spokesman. “Because this is an ongoing criminal investigation, I will have to refer you to the DOJ for any questions.”
The documents were reportedly leaked sometime in February in an invite-only chat on Discord, a chat server, according to a Washington Post report. However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was made aware of the leaked documents on April 6 and has convened military officials for daily updates since April 7.
A number of the Pentagon documents suggested U.S. intelligence penetrated the highest levels of the Russian military, including information from the Russian Defense Ministry outlining attacks against two separate Ukrainian troop positions.
A Washington Post report indicated that the person who leaked the documents, known as “OG,” allegedly worked on a military base and brought home top secret documents. The group the leaker shared the documents with was reportedly about 25 members, invite-only, and made up of both U.S. citizens and foreigners, created during the coronavirus pandemic.
President Joe Biden told reporters Thursday morning that the administration was getting close to uncovering who had leaked the documents. Multiple outlets have since named Teixeira as the leaker.
The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into the incident last week, while the Pentagon continues to assess the damage that will come from the leaked documents.
“We continue to work around the clock along with the interagency and the intelligence community to better understand the scope, scale, and impact of these leaks,” Ryder added. “And just as we’re limited in what we can say about the DOJ’s ongoing investigation, we’ll be also very limited in what we can say about any of the documents themselves.”
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“And while we certainly understand the media’s interest in asking questions about the content of these documents, I will highlight that as a matter of long-standing policy, just because classified information may be posted online or elsewhere does not mean it has been declassified by a classification authority,” Ryder continued.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Justice Department for confirmation of the identity of the leaker. The DOJ declined to comment.