2023-07-24 13:55:49
The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, charged with leaking classified information online, is due to appear in federal court Monday for a pretrial hearing.
Jack Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, is scheduled to appear in court Monday at 10 a.m.
Teixeira’s alleged crimes have made national news since his arrest in April. Last month, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted him on six counts of knowingly withholding and transmitting classified information related to national defense.
Teixeira’s lawyers have been calling for a different judge to overturn an earlier decision by a magistrate who said he must remain behind bars while the case unfolds.
In court documents, defense attorneys argued that Teixeira has neither the financial capacity nor the incentive to flee, saying the government “greatly exaggerates Mr. Teixeira’s risk to national security.”
Teixeira has pleaded not guilty to six counts of knowingly withholding and transmitting national defense information. Each charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Teixeira is accused of misusing his top-secret clearance while working as a member of the Air National Guard, by accessing classified information unrelated to his job, including sensitive military details regarding the war in Ukraine.
Investigators said he had been posting that information in social media group chats since early last year.
Teixeira allegedly attempted to destroy evidence once he realized he was under investigation, with prosecutors adding that his actions endangered the security of the United States.
The Associated Press reported that the breach exposed secrets related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, other nations’ geopolitical capabilities and interests, and other national security issues.
“There’s no question the government takes this very seriously, and that’s why they’re seeing some additional charges,” said Michael Coyne, a legal analyst for NBC10 Boston. “The speed with which the indictments were carried out says that they are concerned regarding national security issues, it is an important case in that regard and they are moving very aggressively to move the case forward.”
Prosecutors and national security experts alike have questioned why and how Teixeira had access to such sensitive information related to national security, considering that he had been suspended from high school for comments regarding guns and violence, and had been repeatedly denied a gun license due to concerns raised by local police.
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