Air Force disciplines 15 members of Air National Guard after ‘lack of supervision’ allowed airman Jack Texeira to share hundreds of classified documents on Discord
- Jack Texeira, 21, of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was charged in April with leaking top secret military documents
- On Monday, the Air Force inspector general reported that several officials had deliberately failed to take required action against the suspicious behavior of his Texeira.
The Air Force has disciplined 15 Air National Guard members after a “lack of oversight” allowed Jack Texeira to share hundreds of classified documents on the social media platform Discord.
Jack Texeira, 21, a first-class airman in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was charged with leaking top-secret military documents from the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base.
The April revelation was described as “one of the largest leaks of US intelligence material in history.” Texeira, who worked as a cyber defense operations journeyman, considered a low-ranking job, was charged with six counts of keeping and transmitting classified information.
An internal investigation revealed a “lack of oversight” and a “culture of complacency” in the massive leak of classified documents that took place. The Washington Post reported.
On Monday, the Air Force inspector general reported that multiple officials deliberately failed to take required action against Texeira's suspicious behavior.
Jack Texeira, 21, (pictured) worked as a journeyman in cyber defense operations, considered a low-level job, was charged with six counts of keeping and communicating classified information, the BBC reported
The US Department of Justice has released photo evidence collected during the investigation into Jack Teixeira, a US Air National Guardsman, who is accused of leaking classified documents online.
The inspector general alleged that Teixeira's superiors failed to restrict his access to classified systems and facilities and alert appropriate authorities during the time he allegedly illegally shared government secrets, The Associated Press reported.
He shared top-secret military secrets illegally collected from his intelligence unit with other Discord users, authorities said.
He allegedly did this by first typing up classified documents he had access to, and then sharing photos of files marked SECRET and TOP SECRET.
The punitive measures range from removing personnel from their positions, including command positions, to non-judicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
According to an Air Force report, it was revealed that officers were “aware of his intelligence-seeking activities” and failed to stop him.
It also revealed that none of his supervisors knew the full extent of Teixeira's online activities.
The National Guard reportedly posted secret memos in an Internet chat room related to the war in Ukraine
An artist's depiction shows Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Teixeira, right, appearing in US District Court in Boston
Teixeira has been behind bars ever since his arrest in April on allegations stemming from the largest intelligence leak in years.
He is charged under the Espionage Act with the unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information.
He has pleaded not guilty and no trial date has been set.
Prosecutors said in a court filing last week that the two sides have not yet engaged in “substantial” plea talks.
Teixeira enlisted in the National Air Guard in 2019.