Suspect in leaked US documents shared information sooner than previously thought
According to a report by the New York Times on Friday, the U.S. Air National Guardsman at the center of the classified documents leak had actually been sharing sensitive information much earlier than first thought. The information was not just limited to a small group of gamers as initially believed, but instead was posted to a significantly larger chat group. The findings were based on online postings analyzed by the newspaper.
According to a recent report, in February 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, a user profile believed to belong to Airman Jack Teixeira started sharing clandestine intelligence about the Russian war efforts in a chat group on the social platform Discord that had around 600 members.
According to the newspaper, the chat room was made publicly available on a YouTube channel, making it easily accessible.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new information reported by the New York Times.
The 21-year-old U.S. Air National Guardsman facing criminal charges for leaking top-secret military intelligence records online was arrested last week.
The New York Times said the newly discovered information posted on the larger chat group included details about Russian and Ukrainian casualties, activities of Moscow’s spy agencies and updates on aid being provided to Ukraine.
The user claimed to be posting information from the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies, according to the New York Times.
The case is believed to be the most serious U.S. security breach since more than 700,000 documents, videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010. The Pentagon has called the leak a “deliberate, criminal act.”
The leaks did not come to light until they were reported by the New York Times in early April, even though the documents were posted earlier.
Teixeira was charged with one count of violating the Espionage Act related to the unlawful copying and transmitting of sensitive defence material, and a second charge related to unlawful removal of defence material to an unauthorised location. He will likely face more charges, legal experts have said.
(Reuters)
