Defense Secretary orders review of US intel access after leak

April 14, 2023

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday ordered a review of US “intelligence access, accountability and control procedures” in the wake of the biggest national security breach in 10 years.

Austin announced the review in a statement where he also commended the Justice Department and FBI for their work apprehending Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman implicated in the leak of dozens of highly sensitive Ukraine war documents.

“The Department of Defense, in close partnership with the Intelligence Community and our interagency partners, will continue to review the national security implications of this unauthorized disclosure,” Austin said of the leaks.

Jack Teixeira arrested. — Jack Teixeira has been implicated in the leak of dozens of highly sensitive Ukraine war documents.

“As Secretary of Defense, I will also not hesitate to take any additional measures necessary to safeguard our nation’s secrets. Accordingly, I am directing the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to conduct 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 added.

Teixeira, a junior airman with the Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, worked as a cyber transport systems journeyman.

US officials have not said whether he had a security clearance that would allow him to access the information that made its way onto the internet.

Following The Post’s latest coverage on the US intelligence leaks scandal

Teixeira reportedly uploaded troves of secret and top secret documents to a private Discord server from which they were spread across several websites.

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder on Thursday called the leak a “deliberate criminal act.”

Lloyd Austin — Austin directed the under secretary of defense for intelligence and security to conduct a review of the Pentagon’s intelligence access, accountability and control procedures.

Here’s what we know about Jack Teixeira and the leaked docs

Who is Teixeira?

A 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, an enlisted member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing located at Joint Base Cape Cod.

Why was he arrested?

The arrest came after the Teixeira was identified as a person of interest in the case, which was opened last week when some of the shared documents were discovered on Russian Telegram channels.

Reports indicate Teixeira was a prominent figure in The “Thug Shakers Central” Discord group, where the documents initially appeared.

What information is in the leaked documents?

The classified documents from the Department of Defense contained key information about America’s espionage efforts against Russia, as well as details about Ukraine’s military planning.

How were the documents leaked?

The classified pages were disseminated on the small Discord channel, Thug Shaker Central, linked to fans of the YouTuber Oxide.

Learn more about the leaks and the channel Thug Shaker Central

In his statement, Austin reminded service members and others with access to state secrets that they have a “solemn legal and moral obligation” to protect the sensitive information that is shared with them.

“Finally, I want to underscore that every U.S. service member, DoD civilian and contractor with access to classified information has a solemn legal and moral obligation to safeguard it and to report any suspicious activity or behavior,” Austin said.