Pentagon: Leaking of classified information was ‘deliberate criminal act’

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder on Thursday called the leak of a cache of classified documents online a “deliberate criminal act,” prompting the Defense Department to reassess how it allocates such information.

“We continue to review a variety of factors as it relates to safeguarding classified materials — this includes examining and updating distribution lists, assessing how and where intelligence products are shared and a variety of other steps,” Ryder told reporters. 

“I would say, though, that it is important to understand that we do have stringent guidelines in place for safeguarding classified and sensitive information. This was a deliberate criminal act, a violation of those guidelines,” he added.  

During the press briefing, multiple outlets reported that law enforcement had arrested Jack Teixeira, 21, of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, in connection with the document leak.  

Ryder declined to comment on reports of the arrest, referring reporters to the Justice Department, which has launched its own investigation into the matter. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland later confirmed that the FBI arrested Teixeira “without incident.” 

The arrest was made in connection to the “alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information,” Garland said at a news conference. 

Teixeira’s arrest follows a Thursday report from The New York Times, who identified the service member as the leader of a small online gaming group where the classified documents were first posted.  

The Times reported that Teixeira was a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s intelligence wing and was the head of the private online group “Thug Shaker Central,” where the documents leaked from over the last few months. 

Ryder would not comment on details of the report or confirm Teixeira’s identity, but said that the Pentagon and other agencies are working “around the clock” to understand the scale and scope of the leak as well as reevaluate how sensitive information is shared. 

“I think it’s important to understand that we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that the people who have a need to know, when it comes to this kind of information, have access to that. We’re always going to learn from every situation. But again, this is something that will continue to look at,” he said.