Who leaked the Pentagon paperwork? What we find out about Jack Teixeira

The individual on the heart of the large leak of inner categorised paperwork from the Pentagon that detailed the battle in Ukraine and U.S. spying efforts on the earth has been recognized as Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guardsmen.

The extremely delicate paperwork, of which there have been greater than 100, present information on:

Army actions, together with U.S. spy planes within the space
U.S. officers’ views on Ukrainian forces’ coaching and readiness
New estimates on Ukrainian and Russian troops killed and gear destroyed

Teixeira was arrested with out incident Thursday after federal investigators searched his mom’s house.

“FBI brokers took Teixeira into custody earlier this afternoon with out incident,” Lawyer Basic Merrick Garland mentioned throughout a information convention Thursday. “We are going to share extra info on the acceptable time.”

Right here’s what we find out about Teixeira and the leaks.

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Who’s Jack Teixeira?

Teixeira is a 21-year-old resident of North Dighton, Massachusetts, public information present. Positioned in southeastern Massachusetts, the city is a couple of 30-minute drive from Windfall, Rhode Island. His most up-to-date handle was additionally listed as the house of two adults of their 50s, almost definitely his dad and mom.

Teixeira is a member of the Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard and chief of the Discord group the place greater than 100 categorised paperwork have been leaked throughout the previous couple of months.

In that Discord group, a preferred chat app amongst players, known as Thug Shaker Central, one particular person leaked a number of categorised paperwork that offered U.S. perception into the battle in Ukraine and different army actions.

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What Pentagon paperwork is Teixeira suspected of leaking?

Teixeira is suspected of leaking tons of of categorised army paperwork to the Discord group. Members of the group informed the New York Occasions and the Washington Submit that they referred to the chief as “O.G.” however declined to determine him by title.

The Justice Division introduced Saturday that it could be opening an investigation into the leak of the categorised paperwork which have been labeled secret and never for distribution to international governments. The paperwork offered particular particulars behind U.S. forces within the area and Ukraine’s use of ammunition within the battle.

Following his arrest on Thursday, Teixeira was charged with alleged unauthorized elimination, retention and transmission of categorised nationwide protection info, Garland mentioned.

What was Jack Teixeira’s job within the army?

Teixeira labored for the Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, which is positioned on the Otis Air Nationwide Guard Base in Cape Cod.

“Our mission is to offer worldwide precision intelligence and command and management together with skilled and skilled Airmen for expeditionary fight help and homeland safety,” the wing’s web site says.

His rank is Airman 1st Class, in response to his army service report, a low rank. His job title is Cyber Transport Techniques Journeymen, a job that requires repairing communication techniques, in response to the Air Power web site.

Might Jack Teixeira be tied to extremism?

By Thursday afternoon, consultants have been already suggesting Teixeira could have been influenced by right-wing extremism to take the actions he did.

Citing the Washington Submit reporting that an individual it recognized because the leak suspect might be seen in a video yelling ”a sequence of racial and antisemitic slurs into the digicam,” Wendy By way of and Heidi Beirich, co-founders of the World Challenge Towards Hate and Extremism, cautioned if investigators are right and the leak got here from contained in the army “this needs to be a large get up name for the US authorities.”

“There are infinite explanation why it is harmful to have far-right, racist, and anti-government characters infiltrating the U.S. army, and nationwide safety is likely one of the most vital,” By way of and Beirich wrote in a press release.

Daryl Johnson, a safety guide and former senior analyst for home terrorism on the Division of Homeland Safety, agreed.

“We have counterintelligence threats as a result of these folks have clearances, which they need to not have,” Johnson mentioned.

Johnson cautioned Thursday that it was nonetheless unclear whether or not Teixeira had politically extremist views, however pointed to the Submit’s reporting concerning the racist statements as robust proof of a motive in leaking the paperwork.

“It’s smoke at this level,” he mentioned. “It’s not a fireplace.”

What’s the Discord group?

The Discord group consisted of round 20-30 members, most of which have been younger males and youngsters in response to a number of media studies. Teixeira was the chief of the group and glided by the deal with “jackthedripper,” the Washington Submit reported Thursday.

The group bonded over Discord in the course of the pandemic once they have been caught at house and remoted from the skin world, in response to the New York Occasions and the Washington Submit. Within the group, members shared racist memes and pursuits in weapons and video video games.