Air Force preparing new charges against airman who leaked classified info on Discord

The Air Force is preparing new charges within the military justice system against the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year to posting a trove of highly classified intelligence reports and other documents on social media, according to an Air Force spokesperson.

The Air Force is preparing new charges within the military justice system against the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year to posting a trove of highly classified intelligence reports and other documents on social media, according to an Air Force spokesperson. Jack Teixeira, 22, was arrested in April 2023 and pleaded guilty in March to all six counts he faced under the Espionage Act. Prosecutors have said they will ask a judge to impose a prison sentence of over 16 years. The final sentence will ultimately be decided by a federal judge in September. But after “close coordination” with the Justice Department, the Air Force has “determined that separate and distinct charges” should be referred against Teixeira “for alleged misconduct related to his military duties,” the spokesperson said. Because Teixeira was on active duty orders at the time that he has admitted to leaking classified documents on the social media platform Discord, “he is subject to both criminal prosecution with the Department of Justice and the United States Air Force under the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” the spokesperson added. The Air Force will hold a first hearing to review evidence on May 14 at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, the spokesperson said. CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report.