Senate Intel Committee lawmakers demand leaked classified docs

Lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee received a classified briefing on Wednesday on the highly sensitive Pentagon documents leaked allegedly by Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, whom one senator referred to as “Snowden 2.0.”

In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines before the briefing, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) expressed “serious concerns” about that trove of classified documents Teixeira is accused of posting in a private Discord chat server.

“According to public reporting, A1C Teixeira began sharing classified information and classified documents within a social media platform as early as December 2022 — nearly four months before the government’s discovery,” the letter read. “These disclosures indicate serious deficiencies in the government’s insider threat and security vetting protocols.”

The pair also demanded to see copies of all the classified material Teixeira, 21, is accused of sharing with his online acquaintances before the documents spread like wildfire throughout various sites on the internet.

Warner told the media on Wednesday that the Pentagon leaks, along with the classified document scandals involving President Biden and former President Donald Trump, signal that congressional action is necessary. 

“In light of the seriousness of this breach and in light of the issues that we’ve still got resolved about current and former presidents potentially mishandling documents, I think it’s time for Congress to act,” Warner told Fox News. 

Upon leaving a classified briefing on the Pentagon leaks, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) told CNN that officials “have a long way to go” in explaining how a 21-year-old was allowed access to that level of sensitive information. 

“This is Snowden 2.0,” said Sullivan, referencing the former National Security Agency contractor that in 2013 leaked classified documents that revealed the mass surveillance of American citizens.

After the briefing, Rubio called it “stunning” that national security and intelligence officials only discovered the leaks after media reports. 

“I think it’s stunning that the Department of Defense and the intelligence agencies found out about it primarily from the press – it’s unacceptable,” Rubio said, according to Fox News. 

“I want us to have a cooperative relationship with these agencies we historically have. It’s getting harder every day. And cases like this to make it even worse … every month that goes by seems to be making it harder and harder to get access to information,” Rubio lamented.

The intel panel’s ranking member added that Congress is at “a crossroads,” and must decide whether they will provide “oversight of intelligence activities” or simply “rubber stamp” them. 

“I’m not in the rubber stamp camp, and I think most of my colleagues aren’t either,” Rubio said, accusing the intelligence community under the Biden administration of “deliberately withholding information” from Congress. 

A Boston federal court judge delayed a detention hearing for Teixeira on Wednesday that would have determined whether he is to remain in custody while he awaits trial.

As a result, Teixeira will remain locked up for at least another two weeks as his legal time was given more time to prepare for the hearing.