Jack Teixeira, a former member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is planning to plead guilty to charges of leaking classified military and intelligence documents. Teixeira is set to enter his plea during a court hearing in federal court in Boston. The court will conduct a Rule 11 hearing to review the voluntary and adequacy of his guilty plea. Teixeira’s attorney has declined to comment on the matter. He has been in detention since his arrest last April following the circulation of sensitive documents online.
Teixeira, a systems administrator in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, used his position to obtain and disseminate classified military information on the online messaging platform Discord. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information in June 2023. Initially pleading not guilty, it is unclear what charges he will now plead guilty to during the upcoming hearing. The leaked documents included information about troop movements in Russia and Ukraine, as well as a timeline for Western deliveries of weapons to Ukraine.
Prosecutors alleged that Teixeira sent over 40,000 messages on Discord between November 2022 and April 2023, some of which contained sensitive government records. He began accessing the classified information in February 2022 and posted it online. The Air Force took action against 15 individuals for “dereliction in the performance of duties” after an investigation found that Teixeira’s unit failed to properly supervise his access to classified information. While Teixeira was deemed responsible for the leaks, his unit members were said to have “enabled” the disclosures by not adequately supervising him.
The court’s calendar indicates a upcoming Rule 11 hearing where Teixeira is expected to plead guilty to leaking classified documents. Investigators revealed that Teixeira used his role as a systems administrator in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard to obtain and unlawfully share classified military information on Discord. The leaked documents included sensitive information about troop movements in Russia and Ukraine, as well as details on weapons deliveries to Ukraine from Western countries. Teixeira is set to make his plea in federal court in Boston.
Teixeira’s attorney has not commented on his client’s intention to plead guilty to charges of leaking classified military and intelligence documents. Following his arrest in April, Teixeira has been in detention as investigators uncovered his involvement in circulating sensitive documents online. He is scheduled to enter his plea during a Rule 11 hearing, where a judge will review the voluntary and adequacy of his guilty plea. The leaked documents, which included information on Russia and Ukraine, were allegedly transcribed and posted online by Teixeira. The Air Force took action against multiple individuals for failing to properly supervise Teixeira’s access to classified information, with the report noting that he alone was responsible for the leaks.
