National Air Guardsman Jack Teixeira was arrested for allegedly leaking classified Pentagon documents in April. After an investigation, the Air Force has disciplined 15 National Guard members over the leak. Teixeira’s unit “failed to take proper action after becoming aware of his intelligence-seeking activities,” but there was no evidence that his supervisory chain was “aware” of the alleged leaks.
The internal probe discovered a “lack of supervision” and a “culture of complacency” allowing for Airman 1st Class Teixeira to share the hundreds of classified documents on the messaging platform Discord, which is primarily used by online gamers.
Teixeira was indicted on six federal counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, and he pleaded not guilty in June. The investigative report was delivered to Congress on Monday, in which the 21-year-old Teixeira’s superiors were blamed for his ability to lead the documents.
The investigation reportedly was concluded in August, but not given to Congress until this week. According to The Washington Post Teixeira’s superiors did not restrict his ability to access classified information and facilities. The Air Force also blamed them for failing to alert appropriate authorities when he was first alleged to have been illegally sharing sensitive documents.
Teixeira pleaded not guilty in June to six federal charges stemming from the intelligence leak.
