Guardsman Charged With Leaking Classified Documents Did So To Show Off, Discord Users Say

Members of a private Discord group claim that the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who leaked classified U.S. intelligence documents did so because he wanted to show off rather than wanting to inform the public about U.S. military operations, reports the Associated Press. 

Jack Teixeira, who was arrested by the FBI and charged in U.S. District Court in Boston on Friday, was linked to the online group where the leaked documents first appeared. He faces charges under the Espionage Act (18 U.S.C. 793), which criminalizes the unauthorized handling and sharing of closely held national defense documents.

According to the newswire, Teixeira managed a Discord group called Thug Shaker Central, where approximately 20 to 30 individuals had gathered over shared interests in guns, memes and video games. There, hundreds of pages of intelligence briefings were uploaded. 

Also Read: 5 Things You Need To Know About Leaked Intel Documents Rocking Pentagon

The leaked documents contain sensitive information regarding Canada, China, Israel and South Korea, along with the military situation in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.

A former member of Thug Shaker Central told the Washington Post that Teixeira had shared the documents to attain clout amongst his online friend where he was known as "O.G."

A Discord member told the Associated Press he did not believe Teixeira had leaked documents to undermine the U.S. government or for an ideological reason.

"If I had to give a gauge on it, it would be more or less just some nerds wanting to glance over some stuff and compare and contrast and kind of have a little joke about it," the unidentified Discord member said. "At the end of the day, I mean we're just trying to have a fun time." 

Now Read: Why Chamath Palihapitiya Thinks Online Chatter Over ‘De-Dollarization’ Is A ‘Huge Nothingburger’

Photo: Shutterstock