Due to allegations that he concealed his violent and racist views, Air National Guard member Jack Douglas Teixeira, who is accused of leaking sensitive military information on a gaming platform, will be held in federal custody until his trial. In addition, two National Guard commanders have been suspended, and the unit’s intelligence mission has been revoked.
Air National Guard member Jack Douglas Teixeira, accused of leaking classified military documents on a social media server, will remain in federal custody until his trial, as ruled by the court. Teixeira, 21, is charged with violating the Espionage Act by accessing classified information with a top-secret security clearance and sharing it on Discord, a popular gaming community platform. Federal prosecutors argued that Teixeira concealed violent and racist views from public scrutiny, revealing them only on his online accounts. They claimed that Teixeira had actively hidden his extremist views during security clearance inspections. Defense attorneys cited previous cases where individuals accused of violating the Espionage Act were not jailed before trial, but the prosecution presented evidence of Teixeira’s extremist statements obtained from his social media accounts. Two National Guard commanders have been suspended, and the unit’s intelligence mission has been revoked pending an internal investigation. Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 for allegedly posting highly classified military documents, including assessments of events in Ukraine and evidence of spying on U.S. allies.
