Discord Leaker Jack Teixeira Awaits Sentence for Sharing U.S. Secrets

Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guard member responsible for a sprawling leak of classified information, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday, ending a federal case that shook the U.S. national security community and exposed the ease with which government secrets can spread online.

Teixeira is due to appear before Judge Indira Talwani in U.S. District Court in Boston after pleading guilty in March to six federal charges, including the willful retention and transmission of national defense information that the U.S. government classified as top secret. Teixeira, who turns 23 next month, has asked for a prison sentence of 11 years while prosecutors have asked for 16.

Teixeira was an information technology specialist at Joint Base Cape Cod in Massachusetts when he smuggled out images of hundreds of classified documents and posted them on Discord, a chat platform popular with video gamers. Those materials revealed government assessments of the war in Ukraine, plotting by terrorist groups and espionage efforts by China against the United States and its allies, rattling Washington’s relationships with several foreign capitals.

Participants in the Discord group described Teixeira as a charismatic gun enthusiast who initially posted detailed information about current events before sharing the classified documents themselves. From Discord, some of the materials made their way onto more mainstream social media platforms, prompting a criminal investigation in April 2023 and a separate Air Force review to determine how such a stunning lapse in security could have occurred. Teixeira has been in custody since his arrest that month.

Related:The New Frontiers of Cyber-Warfare: Insights From Black Hat 2024

Military officials disciplined at least 15 people after finding a “lack of supervision” and a “culture of complacency” had permitted Teixeira to sneak photographs of classified information out of his workplace despite colleagues having raised concerns after he was observed looking up government secrets to which his military job did not require access.

Teixeira’s civilian lawyers declined to comment ahead of the sentencing hearing. Along with Teixeira’s family, they have appealed to the judge for leniency, revealing in documents filed in federal court that the airman was autistic and alleging he was the target of bullying while in high school and within his military unit, the 102nd Intelligence Wing.

“While I know Jack has taken responsibility for his actions and is extremely sorry for what he did, as a career Airman, I can’t fully express the disappointment I feel that his first experience in the Military was adverse and detrimental to his future, when it should have been one of positive mentorship and strong guidance that could have mitigated this situation,” his stepfather, Thomas Dufault, a retired National Guard member who previously served in the same unit as Teixeira, told the court in a letter.

Related:White House Urges Agencies To Adopt AI for Military, Spy Use

Officials at Air Force headquarters referred questions to the Massachusetts National Guard. In a statement, Guard officials said that they were not aware of any bully allegations involving Teixeira and that they promote a zero-tolerance policy against bullying, harassment and hazing.

Prospective service members are required to provide accurate, full disclosures of their medical history, including any diagnosis of autism, to determine their eligibility for service, officials said. During his enlistment, neither Teixeira nor his mother, Dawn Dufault, disclosed a diagnosis of autism, which would be in violation of military enlistment regulations, the statement said.

An autism diagnosis does not automatically disqualify a person from joining the military, but it requires a medical waiver.

Prosecutors said in a sentencing document filed last month that the damage caused by Teixeira’s actions was “extraordinary” and came despite him taking an oath to defend the United States and protect its secrets.

“Teixeira violated his oath, almost every day, for over a year,” they said. “The defendant’s repeated criminal conduct - in complete disregard of his oath, trainings, signed agreements, and admonitions to cease and desist reviewing classified information unrelated to his duties - was a profound breach of trust that had enormous consequences.”