US Air Force Punishes 15 Individuals For ‘Discord Leak’
© AP Photo / Margaret Small
Subscribe
The "Discord Leak" caused embarrassment for the US intelligence community. It showed that US internal evaluations of Ukrainian military capabilities were much lower than what was stated publicly, including that its much-hyped spring/summer counteroffensive would fall well short of its goals.
Former Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira acted alone while allegedly leaking classified Pentagon information, according to an investigation by the US Air Force, but 15 members of his unit, including leaders, were punished due to the alleged leaks.
Background: Teixeira is accused of leaking Pentagon documents on a Discord server he ran. The documents allegedly leaked by Teixeira included the US’ internal evaluations of Ukraine’s military capabilities, China’s development of spy drones, conflicts in the Middle East and North Korea’s nuclear weapons development programs.
He was arrested in April and faces six felony charges for the willful retention and transmission of classified information related to national defense. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
14 April 2023, 16:49 GMT
Five Important Points:
The investigation found that there was no evidence that Teixeira’s unit leadership was aware of the alleged leaks.
It listed several “indirect factors” that allowed the leak to happen: failure to inspect areas under command, inconsistent guidance for reporting security incidents, inconsistent definitions of the “need-to-know” concept and a lack of supervision on oversight and night shift operations.
The investigation further found that the unit’s leadership was not “vigilant” in overseeing the actions of the soldiers under their command and did not prioritize mission security and “failed to take proper action after becoming aware of his intelligence-seeking activities.”
The military punished 15 personnel in relation to the leak, with actions ranging from relieving personnel from their positions, including command positions, to non-judicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Teixeira’s former unit, the 102nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group was taken off its mission in the wake of the alleged leak. It remains active in other organizations within the US Air Force.
The US Air Force has updated its policies related to classified access and need-to-know policies. No trial date has been set yet for Teixeira, who has pleaded not guilty.
