Court-martial hearing set to begin for Pentagon leaker already facing
years behind bars
[March 10, 2025]
By MICHAEL CASEY
BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack
Teixeira, who was sentenced last year to 15 years in prison for leaking
highly classified military documents, is scheduled to begin his
court-martial on additional charges Monday.
Teixeira pleaded guilty last year to six counts of willful retention and
transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act,
following his arrest in the most consequential national security breach
in years.
In his court-martial, Teixeira faces charges of disobeying orders and
obstructing justice. At a hearing last year, military prosecutors said a
court-martial is appropriate given that obeying orders is the “absolute
core” of the military. But Teixeira’s lawyers argued that further action
would amount to prosecuting him twice for the same offense.
The court-martial panel is convening at Hanscom Air Force Base in
Massachusetts.
The leaks exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments of
Russia’s war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in
Ukraine, and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian
troops. Teixeira also admitted posting information about a U.S.
adversary’s plans to harm U.S. forces serving overseas.
Before he was sentenced in November in U.S. District Court in Boston,
Teixeira showed little emotion as he stood in court and apologized for
his actions. The 22-year-old previously admitted he illegally collected
some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets and shared them with other
users on the social media platform Discord.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for all the harm that I brought and caused,”
Teixeira said. “I understand all the responsibility and consequences
fall upon my shoulders alone and accept whatever that will bring.”
Afterward, Teixeira hugged one of his attorneys, looked toward his
family and smiled before being led from court. His family left without
commenting to reporters, but his mother and others submitted letters to
the court seeking leniency.
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Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, right, appears
in U.S. District Court in Boston, Friday, April 14, 2023. (Margaret
Small via AP)
″I know Jack deeply regrets his actions and is ready to accept his
punishment for his part in this situation,” his mother, Dawn Dufault,
wrote. “While I understand the severity of his charges and the
importance of ensuring justice, I implore you, Your Honor, to
consider Jack’s true nature and his unique challenges, as I have
observed over the years.”
The security breach raised alarm over the country’s ability to
protect its most closely guarded secrets and forced the Biden
administration to scramble to try to contain the diplomatic and
military fallout. The leaks also embarrassed the Pentagon, which
tightened controls to safeguard classified information and
disciplined members found to have intentionally failed to take
required action about Teixeira’s suspicious behavior.
Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was part of the 102nd
Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts.
He worked as a cyber transport systems specialist, which is
essentially an information technology specialist responsible for
military communications networks. He remains in the Air National
Guard in an unpaid status, an Air Force official said.
Authorities said he first typed out classified documents he accessed
and then began sharing photographs of files that bore SECRET and TOP
SECRET markings.
Prosecutors also said he tried to cover his tracks before his
arrest. Authorities found a smashed tablet, laptop and an Xbox
gaming console in a dumpster at his house.
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