Air Force prosecutors sought additional charges Tuesday against accused Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira, ABC News reported.
The 22-year-old appeared at Hanscom Air Force Base for the military court hearing, having already pleaded guilty to federal charges in March for disseminating classified documents on the social media platform Discord, according to ABC News. The documents he shared included sensitive intelligence about the Ukraine war, such as troop movements. Teixeira, now facing more than a decade in prison, is scheduled for sentencing in September by a federal judge.
During the hearing Tuesday, military prosecutors presented their case without calling witnesses, instead opting to submit various exhibits, including memos and photographs of Teixeira’s electronics found in a dumpster after his arrest, according to ABC News. These exhibits were intended to demonstrate Teixeira’s alleged failure to comply with direct orders limiting his access to sensitive information. Air Force prosecutors have called for a court martial for Jack Teixeira, an Air National Guardsman, on charges of disobeying orders and obstructing justice for his alleged involvement in leaking sensitive national defense secrets.
Photo evidence collected during the investigation into U.S. Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who is accused of leaking classified documents online, is released in a document by the U.S. Department of Justice. Department of Justice/Handout via REUTERS
Dennis Conlon of Hudson, MA, leaves a detention hearing for Jack Teixeira, a member of the U.S. Air National Guard who is facing criminal charges for leaking top-secret military intelligence records online, at the federal courthouse in Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S., April 27, 2023. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha
Jack Michael Teixeira arrives for the detention hearing for his son, Jack Douglas Teixeira, the US National Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets, at the federal courthouse in Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S., May 19, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Capt. Stephanie Adams, representing the prosecution, argued that Teixeira’s actions were calculated to obstruct justice. She highlighted his alleged requests on Discord, a private instant messaging platform, for another user to delete messages, which prosecutors feel indicates an attempt to cover his tracks. Teixeira’s defense, led by Lt. Col. Bradley Poronsky, did not present any witnesses or evidence, ABC News reported. Instead, they challenged the charges based on the principle of double jeopardy, claiming that the federal court’s handling of the case should preclude further military prosecution.
Air Force prosecutors on Tuesday asked a military hearing officer to recommend that Jack Teixeira, an Air National Guardsman, be court-martialed for disobeying orders and obstructing justice after leaking national defense secrets. https://t.co/nkscYdrks5
— ABC News (@ABC) May 15, 2024
Maj. Luke Gilhooly, another attorney for Teixeira, contended that the Air Force’s pursuit of these charges is essentially an attempt to impose its own penalties, despite the issues already being adjudicated in federal court. The defense argued that the government had not convincingly demonstrated that Teixeira intended to disobey orders or obstruct justice, ABC News reported. (RELATED: Pentagon Review Finds No Systemic Problem With Keeping Secrets After Massive Doc Leak)