Jack Teixeira, a U.S. National Guard soldier who was convicted of leaking classified documents about the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the gaming messenger Discord, said he was a «proud patriot» who was only «exposing and correcting the lies perpetuated by the Biden administration» and saving the lives of American, Russian, and Ukrainian military personnel.
Jack Teixeira, a U.S. National Guard soldier who was convicted of leaking classified documents about the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the gaming messenger Discord, said he was a «proud patriot» who was only «exposing and correcting the lies perpetuated by the Biden administration» and saving the lives of American, Russian, and Ukrainian military personnel.
He made the remarks at a new hearing in his case, AP News reports. Pleading guilty to obstruction of justice, the 23-year-old soldier confirmed that he knew his actions were illegal but felt the need to share the truth about how the Biden administration «misled the American public about the war in Ukraine.»
«If I saved even one American, Russian or Ukrainian life from this senseless war for money, my punishment was worth it,» Teixeira said. His politicized comments stand in stark contrast to the apology he issued at the time of his federal sentencing.
The military man suggested that he, like President Donald Trump, was a victim of a Justice Department-backed crackdown. Teixeira said he acted alone when he shared the documents in a chat room on Discord, a popular platform for gamers. He then called on Trump and his administration to review his «double prosecution and punishment to undo the actions of the deep state and expose the truth, no matter how inconvenient it is for the Biden administration.»
«I am calm about how history will remember my actions,» he added.
Judge Vicki Marcus accepted the plea deal and sentenced Teixeira to be discharged with dishonor and without prison time. She rejected the prosecutor’s request for a written reprimand and demotion.
Teixeira was already sentenced last year to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to six counts of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information under the Espionage Act, after being arrested in the largest national security breach in years.
Military prosecutors said before the military tribunal began that charges of disobeying orders and obstruction of justice were appropriate because following orders is an «absolute foundation» of military service.
Pushing for a harsher sentence, prosecutors said Teixeira intended to prevent the FBI from finding the truth and was scared because he knew he had done something wrong.
After the verdict, prosecutors said they believed the dishonorable discharge still sent a powerful message. «The dishonorable discharge was an important issue for us because I think it accurately reflects his actions, his crimes,» Lieutenant Colonel Peter Havern said after the military tribunal concluded.
Teixeira pleaded guilty to obstruction charges and confirmed that he destroyed his cellphone, computer hard drive and iPad with a hammer after seeing a news report about the leaked documents. He also admitted that he ordered his friend to destroy messages they exchanged on a messaging app.
«I was scared about the potential law enforcement investigation into me and my friends,» he said in court Thursday.
The leaks revealed classified assessments of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including information on troop movements in Ukraine and the provision of logistical support to Ukrainian forces. The documents also revealed assessments of Taiwan’s defense capabilities and internal arguments from Britain, Egypt, Israel, South Korea, and Japan. Teixeira also admitted to posting information about U.S. adversaries’ plans to harm U.S. troops serving overseas.
Jack Teixeira worked as an information technology specialist responsible for military communications networks. His lawyers described Teixeira as an autistic, isolated individual who spent most of his time online, especially in his Discord community, and who never intended to harm the United States.
The security breach has sent the Biden administration scrambling to try to contain diplomatic and military fallout. The leaks have also embarrassed the Pentagon, which has tightened controls to protect classified information and punished staff who were found to have deliberately failed to take necessary action regarding Teixeira’s suspicious behavior.
