An Airman's Breach: The Discord Leak Saga

Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, faces sentencing for leaking classified military documents related to Russia's war in Ukraine. Charged with violating the Espionage Act, Teixeira had shared sensitive information on Discord, claiming an educational intent. His defense urges an 11-year sentence.

In a high-profile sentencing, U.S. Prosecutors are seeking a nearly 17-year prison term for Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking highly classified military documents online. On Tuesday, Teixeira is expected to appear before a federal judge in Boston after pleading guilty to serious breaches of the Espionage Act.

Now 22 years old, Teixeira had been in custody since April 2023, after confessing to six counts of willfully retaining and transmitting classified national defense information. Despite his low rank, he gained access to top-secret documents and leaked them on Discord, a social app, to a group of gamers.

Although advised against mishandling classified data by his superiors, Teixeira leaked information about global hotspots, including the Ukraine war. His defense team argues his intent was educative, not malicious, and requests a reduced 11-year sentence instead of the proposed 17 years.

(With inputs from agencies.)