Former classmates of Jack Teixeira describe uneasy feeling around him
From CNN’s Scott Glover, Blake Ellis and Jeff Winter
Former classmates of Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old who was formally charged Friday in federal court with leaking classified documents, described him as an odd kid who was interested in guns, the military and war.
“I could never have foreseen him doing that,” said John Powell, a former high school classmate.
Teixeira grew up in the suburbs of Providence, Rhode Island, according to public records and graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth High School in neighboring Massachusetts in 2020.
He toted around a “dictionary-sized” book on firearms and another about “tanks, planes and submarines,” former classmates told CNN. But others said he made them feel uneasy. He made comments some perceived as racist and showed up for school after the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas wearing a shirt emblazoned with an AR-15.
“A lot of people were wary of him,” said Brooke Cleathero, a former classmate in both high school and middle school. Another former classmate said his behavior did not rise to the level where people felt the need to report him, but “he made me nervous.”
According to a probable cause affidavit unsealed Friday, investigators believe Teixeira posted national defense information and other classified documents on a social media platform.
Though the platform is not specified in the affidavit it has been identified by media outlets, including CNN, as Discord. Teixeira had access to the documents as part of his job in cyber defense operations with the Air National Guard for which he would have had to sign a “lifetime binding non-disclosure agreement,” the affidavit stated.
FBI agents interviewed at least one person who said a young man later identified as Teixeira began posting “what appeared to be classified information” on a server in December. The unidentified source told agents the server was intended to “discuss geopolitical affairs and current and historical wars.”
Teixeira is believed to have been the head of an obscure invite-only Discord chatroom called Thug Shaker Central, multiple US officials told CNN, where information from the classified documents was first posted months ago.
Authorities have yet to publicly assign a motive to Teixeira’s alleged security breach and the allegations seem perplexing — even to those who said they were concerned by his odd behavior in high school.
One former classmate who asked not to be named said she found Teixeira’s fascination with the military to be a form of American nationalism and was surprised by the allegations against him.
“This is a complete shock,” she said. “I didn’t think he would be capable of doing something like this.”
Majlie de Puy Kamp and Casey Tolan contributed reporting to this post.
Ukraine’s prime minister won’t say if he discussed document leak during US meetings
From CNN’s Jennifer Hansler
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Friday declined to say if he had discussed the mass leak of classified documents in meetings with US officials in Washington this week –but emphasized that the two countries are united.
Shmyhal also did not respond to a question from CNN if any US officials had apologized about the leak of the documents, many of which concern the war in Ukraine.
“We discussed many very important questions and challenges and issues with all officials with whom we have meetings during this three days,” he said at a press conference at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.
In his meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Shmyhal said that they discussed “many very important strategic issues.”
“We are crucially united and absolutely united with Americans and other international partners in preparation of our counteroffensive and we are sure that we will win this war. We will liberate our territories,” he said.
He elaborated that Ukraine and the US are united on issues such as training soldiers, ammunition and weapons supplies, including long-range missiles.
Shmyhal suggested without evidence that the leak of the documents was tied to Russia, but said, “I’m sure that the investigation will demonstrate all the conclusions.”
The documents: Some of the leaked documents divulged key weaknesses in Ukrainian weaponry, air defense, and battalion sizes and readiness at a critical point in the war just as the US and Ukraine have begun to develop a more mutually trusting relationship over intelligence-sharing.
One document reveals that the US has been spying on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. That is unsurprising, said a source close to Zelensky, but Ukrainian officials are deeply frustrated about the leak.
A suspect was charged in the massive leak of classified US information. Catch up here
From CNN staff
The suspect arrested in the leaking of classified US documents online, 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was charged in federal court on Friday in Boston.
Here’s everything we know so far.
The charges include:
- unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information
- unauthorized removal of classified information and defense materials
About the suspect: Teixeira, a member of Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested on Thursday in North Dighton, Massachusetts, by FBI agents.
His official job is Cyber Transport Systems journeyman. According to the Air Force, Cyber Transport Systems specialists are tasked with making sure the service’s “vast, global communications network” is operating correctly.
He is believed to be the head of an obscure invite-only Discord chatroom called Thug Shaker Central, multiple US officials told CNN, where information from the classified documents was first posted months ago.
Several former high school classmates told CNN that he had a fascination with the military, guns and war.
Teixeira’s access: According to charging documents, Teixeira held a top secret security clearance and allegedly began posting information about the documents online around December 2022, and photos of documents in January.
He was assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing, which is a “24/7 operational mission” that takes in intelligence from various sources and packages it for some of the most senior military leaders around the globe, according to a defense official. Teixeira’s job was not to be the one packaging the intelligence for those senior commanders, but rather to work on the network on which that highly classified intelligence lived.
He was concerned about getting caught transcribing documents at work, so he started taking them home, a member of his online chat group told the FBI, according to court documents. According to investigators, a US government agency found that he also had searched for the word “leak” on his government-issued computer prior to his arrest.
What’s next: The judge scheduled a detention hearing for Teixeira on Wednesday. He will remain detained until then. Teixeira did not enter a formal plea.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted that the House of Representatives will investigate the trove of leaked classified documents. “The Biden administration has failed to secure classified information. Through our committees, Congress will get answers as to why they were asleep at the switch,” he said.
Biden says he’s directed national security agencies to step up safeguards after intelligence leaks
From CNN’s Betsy Klein and Kevin Liptak
President Joe Biden said Friday that he is calling on federal agencies to step up their security measures in the wake of a massive US classified documents leak.
“While we are still determining the validity of those documents, I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information, and our national security team is closely coordinating with our partners and allies,” Biden said in a statement Friday afternoon.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a “review of our intelligence access, accountability and control procedures within the Department to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again,” he said in a separate statement.
Biden also shared his first public praise for the FBI’s arrest of the 21-year-old suspect, Jack Teixeira, who investigators accuse of posting the classified documents online.
“I commend the rapid action taken by law enforcement to investigate and respond to the recent dissemination of classified U.S. government documents,” Biden said in his Friday statement.
Managing the diplomatic fallout: The president was briefed last night on the arrest during his diplomatic visit to Ireland, and he has received regular updates on the US’ outreach to allies since the leak became public.
The documents contained sensitive information, including eavesdropping on key allies and adversaries and blunt assessments on the state of the Ukraine war.
Officials acknowledge the situation has loomed over Biden’s trip to his ancestral homeland.
Before the arrest yesterday, Biden sought to downplay the incident. “I’m concerned that it happened, but there is nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence,” he told reporters.
Attorney general stresses national security implications of classified documents leak
From CNN’s Holmes Lybrand
Attorney General Merrick Garland declined to say if others would be charged in the case of leaked classified documents but stressed the national security implications of the case in his first remarks since the suspect’s court appearance Friday.
“This is not just about taking home documents,” Garland said. “This is about the transmission” of classified material, which carries “very serious penalties.”
“People who sign agreements to be able to receive classified documents acknowledge the importance to the national security of not disclosing those documents — and we intend to send that message, how important it is to our national security,” he added.
Garland held a press conference in Washington, DC, shortly after the 21-year-old Air National Guard member accused of leaking the documents online was formally charged.
Garland would not comment when asked whether the case would extend beyond the federal charges and into military court. A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
“His first appearance was this morning,” Garland said, “and I’m really not able to talk anymore. It’s an ongoing investigation.”
Teixeira’s work gave him access to network housing classified intelligence, according to defense official
From CNN’s Haley Britzky
US classified information leaks suspect Jack Teixeira was assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing, which is a “24/7 operational mission” that takes in intelligence from various sources and packages it for some of the most senior military leaders around the globe, according to a defense official.
Teixeira’s job was not to be the one packaging the intelligence for those senior commanders, but rather to work on the network on which that highly classified intelligence lived.
For that purpose, the official said Teixeira would be required to have a top secret/sensitive compartmented information (TS/SCI) clearance, in the instance that he was exposed to that level of intelligence.
“This airman, even as a young man, his job was to work on this network that carried highly classified information,” the official said. “Because of this, the information carried on the network, people who work on it have to have that kind of clearance.”
“It’s not like your regular IT guy where you call a help desk and they come fix your computer,” the official added. “They’re working on a very highly classified system, so they require that clearance.”
Teixeira underwent “a very rigorous background check” to obtain that clearance, the official said. People with TS/SCI clearances are required to sign nondisclosure agreements, and they are “required to self-report” if they accidentally mishandle information or have any kind of issue that “might affect your mental state or ability to continue to do your job.”
Teixeira, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, has been on federal orders since Oct. 1, 2021, the official said. Before that, he was in drilling status, which is the typical status for National Guardsmen conducting monthly drills.
Teixeira used his real home address in billing info on social platform Discord, court documents say
From CNN’s Natasha Bertrand
The social media platform where Jack Teixeira was allegedly posting classified documents, which is not named in the affidavit but which CNN has previously identified as Discord, gave the FBI information on April 12 about the account that had allegedly been posting the documents.
Teixeira used his real name and home address in North Dighton, Massachusetts, for the billing information associated with his Discord account, according to the affidavit.
“According to these records, the individual using the Subject Username is the administrator of Server 1, the billing name associated with the Subject Username is ‘Jack Teixeira,’ and the billing address associated with the Subject Username is a specific residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts. Teixeira listed the North Dighton, Massachusetts residence as his primary residence on employment paperwork with the USANG,” it said.
See the criminal complaint and affidavit for suspect in classified information leak
From CNN staff
Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old suspect in the leak of classified information posted on social media, has been charged with unauthorized detention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal of classified information and defense materials.
In federal court in Boston on Friday morning, Magistrate Judge David Hennessy informed Teixeira of the charges he’s facing and scheduled a detention hearing for Teixeira on Wednesday.
Read the affidavit and criminal complaint here:
Affidavit: Suspect was scared to copy documents at work so he took them home to photograph, group member says
From CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz
The US intelligence leaks suspect was concerned about getting caught transcribing documents at work, so he started taking them home, a member of his online chat group told the FBI, according to court documents.
Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, 21, is suspected of posting the leaks. Investigators did not name the group member the FBI interviewed in the affidavit.
Teixeira, “began taking the documents to his residence and photographing them” due to his concern about getting caught, the group member told investigators, according to the court document.
The leaks included photos of crumpled documents lying on top of magazines and surrounded by other random objects, such as zip-close bags and Gorilla Glue, CNN has previously reported.
The documents looked as if they had been hastily folded up and shoved into a pocket before being removed from a secure location, a source familiar with these kinds of documents told CNN.