Guardsman Jack Teixeira, Pentagon leak suspect, pleads not guilty to charges
A Massachusetts Air National guardsman accused of leaking highly classified documents pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday.
Jack Teixeira, 21, was indicted by a grand jury last week on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense.
He has been in federal custody since his arrest in April.
Teixeira smiled as he looked toward a group of people watching the proceeding inside the federal courtroom. Two women, including his mother, waved to him.
Teixeira's lawyer waived the formal reading of the indictment, as Teixeira pleaded not guilty to each of the six counts.
The judge denied the defense's attempt to revisit bail conditions, saying there has been no change in conditions that would warrant amending the order.
"We remain as committed as ever and our entire family continues to share complete and unwavering support of Jack as he faces this matter," the family said in a written statement. "The important thing is Jack will now have his day in court. And as we move through this process, we are hopeful that Jack will be getting the fair and just treatment he deserves."
Teixeira is accused of sharing secret military documents about Russia’s war in Ukraine and other top national security issues in a chat room on Discord, a social media platform that started as a hangout for gamers.
Investigators believe Teixeira was the leader of an online private chat group on Discord called Thug Shaker Central, which drew roughly two dozen enthusiasts who talked about their favorite types of guns and shared memes and jokes.
The group also held a running discussion on wars that included talk of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The leaked documents appear to detail U.S. and NATO aid to Ukraine and U.S. intelligence assessments regarding U.S. allies that could strain ties with those nations.
Some show real-time details from February and March of Ukraine’s and Russia’s battlefield positions and precise numbers of battlefield gear lost and newly flowing into Ukraine from its allies.
