Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman accused of leaking hundreds of Pentagon classified documents, searched government networks for the keyword "leak" on the day news of the incident broke, according to his arrest affidavit.
Teixeira holds a "Top Secret security clearance," which was granted to him in 2021, the affidavit states. He first leaked text related to classified documents back in December 2022, and about a month later, he began taking photos of the documents instead.
WHO IS JACK TEIXEIRA, THE ACCUSED LEAKER OF PENTAGON CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS
On April 6, the day that the New York Times revealed the existence of the leaked documents, Teixeira "used his government computer to search classified intelligence reporting for the word 'leak,'" the affidavit said.
"There is reason to believe that Teixeira was searching for classified reporting regarding the U.S. Intelligence Community’s assessment of the identity of the individual who transmitted classified national defense information, to include the Government Document," the affidavit said.
Teixeira was charged under the Espionage Act on Friday for the unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information, as well as the unauthorized removal of classified information and defense materials.
United States Magistrate Judge David Hennesy ordered Teixeira to be held pending a hearing next week.
Teixeira worked as a cyber transport systems journeyman who ensured the Air Force's "vast, global communications network" was operating correctly. He is an airman 1st class, which is the third enlisted rank an airman will make, and he had one achievement medal during his time in the service.
He was recently stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and was promoted to airman 1st class in July. He was arrested on Thursday afternoon in Dighton, Massachusetts, without incident by the FBI and arrived in court midmorning on Friday.
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Teixeira is accused of releasing hundreds of classified documents in an invite-only chat on Discord, a messaging platform. The chat group was created during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and consisted of roughly 25 members, some foreigners.
A number of the Pentagon documents suggested U.S. intelligence penetrated the highest levels of the Russian military, including information from the Russian Defense Ministry outlining attacks against two separate Ukrainian troop positions.