A US media outlet said, citing an unnamed US official, that Bils was "actively under federal investigation, but the circumstances of the content of the investigation are unclear at this time."
Citing people in the know, the outlet reported that both the FBI and the US navy were investigating Bils' alleged role in the spread of Pentagon leaks.
The ex-navy officer herself has denied any links to the leaks. The 37-year-old said in multiple interviews that she was only one of the people administering the Donbass Devushka (translating from Russian as "Donbas Girl") channel on Telegram, largely dubbed in Western media as "pro-Russian."
On April 5, the Donbass Devushka channel posted four of the leaked classified documents to its over 65,000 followers, which have since increased to over 71,000. The Pentagon has launched an investigation into the leaks after several large Russian social media accounts shared the original posts.
A package of top secret US Department of Defense documents has been leaked online in the recent weeks, disclosing some of Washington's highly classified military analysis and showing that the US was spying not only on its opponents but also on its allies. The leakage sparked deep concern among US officials, who fear that the situation might endanger the US's sources and undermine important international ties.
On Thursday, the FBI arrested Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the US Air Force National Guard, for his alleged involvement in leaking the classified documents. According to The Washington Post, Teixeira started publishing classified documents on Discord around February 2022, at the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
On Friday, a federal court in Boston charged Teixeira with the unauthorized retention, removal and transmission of classified information, and ordered him to remain in custody until the next hearing, scheduled for Wednesday.