A low-level airman, Teixeira pleaded responsible to sharing a whole lot of labeled recordsdata on the social media web site Discord.
United States prosecutors will search a 17-year jail time period for an airman who admitted to leaking a whole lot of extremely labeled army paperwork in regards to the Ukraine warfare and different nationwide safety secrets and techniques.
In a sentencing memorandum filed earlier this week, prosecutors mentioned the crime by Jack Teixeira, 22, a member of the Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard, amounted to one of the “consequential violations of the Espionage Act in American historical past”.
“The defendant took an oath to defend america and to guard its secrets and techniques — secrets and techniques which can be very important to US nationwide safety and the bodily security of Individuals serving abroad,” prosecutors wrote. “Teixeira violated his oath, nearly daily, for over a yr.”
The labeled information had been shared final yr by Teixeira on the messaging app Discord. Authorities say Teixeira started by typing out copies that he then printed on-line. Later, he photographed the recordsdata, a few of which bore “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET” markings.
Mossad particulars
The leaked paperwork held extremely labeled info on allies and adversaries, with particulars starting from troop actions in Ukraine to intelligence about Israel’s Mossad spy company.
The breach embarrassed the Pentagon and compelled the administration of President Joe Biden to scramble to attempt to comprise the diplomatic and army fallout.
Not like different leakers of US army secrets and techniques, Teixeira’s attorneys say he had no political aim and was not a spy working for a overseas authorities.
The attorneys are pushing for a lighter sentence of 11 years, saying their shopper, who pleaded responsible in March, “made a horrible resolution” however by no means meant to hurt the US.
“As an alternative, his intent was to coach his associates about world occasions to make sure they weren’t misled by misinformation,” mentioned the attorneys. Additionally they famous that Teixeira has autism and has by no means been convicted of a criminal offense earlier than.
“Jack has completely accepted accountability for the wrongfulness of his actions and stands prepared to simply accept no matter punishment should now be imposed,” wrote Teixeira’s attorneys.
Prosecutors countered that Teixeira, who held a top-secret safety clearance whereas working in cyberdefence operations, doesn’t undergo from an mental incapacity that forestalls him from realizing proper from flawed. They argued that Teixeira’s post-arrest prognosis as having “gentle, high-functioning” autism “is of questionable relevance in these proceedings”.
“No matter developmental or social difficulties Teixeira might have skilled, his resolution to illegally disclose nationwide defence info and put the lives of different folks in danger was a volitional alternative that he made knowingly, wilfully, and with full consciousness of the results time and time once more,” prosecutors wrote.
Teixeira, who’s scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, can’t be charged with additional Espionage Act violations beneath the phrases of his responsible plea.
