DOJ says leak suspect a “direct threat” to national security

Jack Teixeira, 21, appeared Thursday in Boston federal court and must remain in jail while he awaits trial. Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, has been charged with leaking highly classified documents. He asked the court for “the least restrictive conditions” and has not entered a formal plea to the charges. However, releasing Teixeira from jail would pose a “direct threat” to national security that could cause “grave damage,” the Department of Justice argued in a court filing. The judge said Thursday that he would issue a ruling later.

Why does the DOJ say Teixeira is a threat? Teixeira may still have more sensitive documents unknown to the government and could be a flight risk, according to the DOJ. He faces at least 25 years in prison, and a hostile country could offer him safety in exchange for valuable intelligence, the DOJ said.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew on the Pentagon shoring up security around classified information.