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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 14 april 2023
Guardsman arrested in leak of classified military documents

Continued from Front nothing contemporaneous drew roughly two dozen
that I’m aware of that is of enthusiasts who talked
In his brief statement from great consequence.” about their favorite types
the Justice Department po- The classified documents — of guns and also shared
dium, Garland did not re- which have not been indi- memes and jokes, some of
veal a possible motive, but vidually authenticated by them racist. The group also
accounts of those in the U.S. officials — range from included a running discus-
online private chat room briefing slides mapping out sion on wars that included
where the documents were Ukrainian military positions talk of Russia’s invasion of
disclosed have depicted to assessments of interna- Ukraine.
Teixeira as motivated more tional support for Ukraine In that discussion, “the
by bravado than ideology. and other sensitive topics, O.G.” would for months
Even as the investigation including under what cir- post material that he said
continues into the highest- cumstances Russian Presi- was classified — origi-
profile intelligence leak in dent Vladimir Putin might nally typing it out with his
years, with sensitive infor- Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at the Department use nuclear weapons. own notations, then a few
mation that was shared of Justice in Washington, Thursday, April 13, 2023. FBI Deputy There’s no clear answer months ago switching to
in the chat room ending Director Paul Abbate, right, and Deputy Attorney General Lisa on how many documents posting images of folded-
up circulating around the Monaco, left, listen. Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. were leaked. The Associ- up papers because he felt
world, the arrest is nonethe- military communications The National Guard did not ated Press has viewed ap- his writings weren’t being
less a pivotal moment. networks, including their confirm his identity but said proximately 50 documents; taken seriously, the person
The emergence of Teix- cabling and hubs. in a statement that, “We some estimates put the to- said. Discord has said it was
eira as a primary suspect In that role Teixeira would are aware of the investiga- tal number in the hundreds. cooperating with law en-
is bound to raise questions have had a higher level tion into the alleged role a The leak is believed to have forcement.
about how such a pro- of security clearance be- Massachusetts Air National started on a site called Dis- There are only a few ways
found breach, one that cause he would have also Guardsman may have cord, a social media plat- the classified information
the Pentagon termed a been tasked with responsi- played in the recent leak form popular with people that was leaked could have
“very serious risk to nation- bility for ensuring protection of highly-classified docu- playing online games and been accessed. Typically in
al security,” could have for the networks, a defense ments.” Ryder referred all where Teixeira is believed classified briefings like the
been caused by such a official told the Associated questions about the inves- to have posted for years slides that were placed on
young, low-ranking service Press, speaking on the con- tigation to the Justice De- about guns, games and Discord, the information is
member.“We entrust our dition of anonymity to dis- partment. his favorite memes — and, shared electronically. That
members with a lot of re- cuss sensitive matters. The Biden administration according to some others can happen either through
sponsibility at a very early Teixeira, who was wearing has scrambled for days to chatting with him, closely secure computer terminals
age. Think about a young a T-shirt and shorts at the contain the potential dip- guarded U.S. secrets. where users gain access
combat platoon sergeant, time heavily armed tacti- lomatic and military fallout In previous Associated Press based on their credentials
and the responsibility and cal agents took him into from the leaked informa- stories, the leaker was iden- or through tablets that are
trust that we put into those custody, is due to have his tion since they were first tified as “the O.G.” by a distributed for briefings and
individuals to lead troops initial court appearance in reported last week, mov- member of an online chat re-collected. If the slides
into combat,” said Brig. Massachusetts on Friday. It ing to assure allies and as- group where Teixeira and need to be printed out in-
Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pen- was not immediately clear sess the scope of damage. others posted for years. The stead, they can only be
tagon spokesman. if Teixeira had a lawyer who Pentagon officials have member of the chat group sent to secured printers that
Teixeira’s specialty in the could speak on his behalf, expressed alarm about declined to give his name are able to handle classi-
Air National Guard was as and a phone message left the disclosures, but Presi- to the AP, citing concerns fied documents – and that
a “cyber transport systems at a number believed to dent Joe Biden, speaking for his personal safety. keep a digital record of ev-
specialist,” essentially an belong to his mother was to reporters in Ireland ear- The chat group, called eryone who has requested
IT specialist responsible for not immediately returned. lier Thursday, said “there’s “Thug Shaker Central,” a printout. q

Supreme Court won’t block $6B student

debt relief settlement

of thousands of borrowers not-for-profit. The justices’ San Francisco in response
who say they were misled action comes as the high to complaints that the 150-
by their schools. The jus- court is weighing what to plus schools had made
tices did not comment in do with the Biden adminis- false recruiting claims and
rejecting an emergency tration’s plan to wipe away left many students unable
plea from Everglades Col- $400 billion in student debt to find jobs. The Justice
lege, Lincoln Educational held by more than 40 million Department has already
Services Corp. and Ameri- people. A decision on that begun implementing the
can National University. The plan is expected by late agreement and said in
schools had argued that June. The legal challenges court that roughly 3,800
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks with reporters they were unfairly included have some similarities but borrowers who are part of
outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Feb. on a list of more than 150 the administration is relying the settlement attended
28, 2023.
Associated Press institutions, most of them on different laws in the two the three schools.
for-profit, linked with al- programs. The class-action Lower courts had previous-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The billion legal settlement to leged misconduct. Lincoln settlement was approved ly denied the schools’ ef-
Supreme Court on Thurs- go forward that will cancel and American are for-profit late last year by U.S. Dis- forts to halt the settlement
day allowed a roughly $6 student loans for hundreds institutions; Everglades is a trict Judge William Alsup in while they appeal.q