Homeland security expert questions Jack Teixeira's access to classified documents
BOSTON - Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira is in federal custody and will face a judge Friday. The 21-year-old is being charged under the Espionage Act for allegedly sharing sensitive national and international security information and classified military documents on the online gaming forum Discord.
"We talk a lot about what we classify. Once it's classified, we now need to start talking about who has access to it," says former Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Juliette Kayyem, questioning military oversight and Teixeira's access to sensitive information.
Teixeira is an Airman 1st Class in the Guard's 102nd Intelligence Wing with an E-3 ranking, meaning he's had very little time in the military. Enlisting in 2019 as a cyber transport systems specialist, the Air Force lists minimum requirements for the job as a GED or high school diploma.
"Someone had confidence in him, that possibly they did a background check," Kayyem said. "Why are they not capturing this really weird behavior online?"
WBZ asked that question directly to Army intelligence officer Lt. Col. Paul Lushenko, the Deputy Director of Cornell's Tech Policy Institute.
"Before you get access to classified information, you go through a fairly rigorous background check," Lushenko said. "This person obviously did well in that interview. But between that and this episode or episodes of breaching something went awry."
The documents reviewed by CBS News contained details about the war in Ukraine, including an analysis of Ukraine's air defenses, as well as information about South Korea. Officials said some of the documents appeared to be doctored, but acknowledged some of the slides appeared to contain secret information.
"There's any number of ways this E-3 in the Air Force at 21-years-old could have gathered this information," Lushenko said. "Potentially deceiving his authorities to gain access to information in classified spaces."
Attorney General Merrick Garland describes Teixeira's behavior as bravado not ideology, despite sharing information about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues.
"We know there is a whistleblower mentality with people like Edward Snowden and others who attempt to shed light on what they think is gross violation of taxpayer dollars," Lushenko said. "Regardless of that this is a violation of national law."
I-Team sources say Teixeira will remain in FBI custody Thursday night and will make an appearance in federal court in Boston Friday.