Former army man who leaked Pentagon files gets 15 years’ imprisonment
Jack Teixeira, a 22-year-old former US military and Air National Guard member, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to leaking classified Pentagon documents on the social network Discord.
Teixeira was arrested at his parents’ home near Boston in April 2023 following an extensive FBI search. The investigation began after a series of leaks of classified documents led to concerns over a potential threat to national security.
Last December, the Department of the Air Force sanctioned 15 airmen from the unit in which Teixeira served, holding them responsible for allowing the disclosure of classified documents when they did not take appropriate action, even though they Saw suspicious activities.
These people had already been suspended when it was discovered that Teixeira was the source of the unauthorized leak and the squadron’s mission was reassigned to other Air Force units.
The federal court sentencing hearing highlighted the seriousness of the leak, which exposed sensitive US National Guard information. Teixeira’s conviction has become a symbolic case about the vulnerability of digital platforms in the management and security issues of classified information.