Top U.S. officials are moving to shore up security surrounding sensitive government material after a tranche of documents were leaked online earlier this year, forcing the administration to scramble to address the fallout.
President Biden said Friday that “[w]hile we are still determining the validity of those documents, I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he’s directing Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie “to conduct a review of our intelligence access, accountability and control procedures within the Department to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again.”
The 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member arrested in connection to the leak has been charged with violating the Espionage Act and another statute. The charges carry a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Jack Teixeira, who worked as a technology support staffer with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is accused of transmitting national defense information and removing classified documents or materials. Teixeira didn’t enter a plea on Friday.
From The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch: “Though a low-ranking member of the military, he served in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, a position that came with a top secret security clearance and access to the Pentagon’s Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System.”
Beitsch and Laura Kelly reported on the breadth of topics the leaked documents covered:
“Among the reportedly 300 documents allegedly leaked by Texeira were detailed assessments on Russia’s war in Ukraine, including intimate conversations among high-level Russian officials. Also leaked was intelligence on allies and partners — like Israel, South Korea, Egypt and Turkey — spanning those countries’ domestic issues and their deliberations surrounding Russia and Ukraine.”
Read more about security clearance and calls for access review here