Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira enters not guilty plea in federal court
Teixeira's plea comes nearly a week after a federal grand jury indicted him on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman facing allegations of leaking sensitive documents from the Pentagon pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday in federal court.
Jack Teixeira, 21, appeared in a Worcester, Massachusetts, courtroom on Wednesday afternoon, nearly a week after a federal grand jury indicted him.
The North Dighton resident faces six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Teixeira was arrested on April 13 on suspicion that he shared highly classified military documents pertaining to the war in Ukraine, as well as top national security issues in a chat room on Discord, a social media platform.
PENTAGON LEAK SUSPECT JACK TEIXEIRA INDICTED BY FEDERAL GRAND JURY
Selfie of Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old National Guard Airman accused of leaking classified information. (Facebook)
In court on Wednesday, Teixeira was handcuffed and wearing orange jail garb.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He reportedly smiled at family members seated in the courtroom at the beginning of the hearing. When asked how he pleaded after each count, Teixeira, who was seated next to his lawyers at the defense table, leaned over to the microphone to say, "Not guilty, your honor."
JACK TEIXEIRA MISHANDLED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TWICE BEFORE HIGH-PROFILE LEAK: REPORT
In this courtroom sketch, Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira appears in U.S. District Court in Boston on April 19, 2023. Teixeira is charged with leaking highly classified military documents. (AP Photo/Margaret Small)
The defense requested the judge reconsider Teixeira’s detention order, which was denied.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A magistrate judge ruled last month that Teixeira was to remain in jail for the entirety of the case, adding his release could pose a risk of him fleeing the country or obstructing justice.
Teixeira held a top-secret information security clearance that would grant him access to the classified information.
PENTAGON LEAK SUSPECT JACK TEIXEIRA TO BE ARRAIGNED IN FEDERAL COURT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Smashed items, a helmet and other materials the Justice Department said were found in a dumpster outside Jack Teixeira's home following his arrest are shown. (Justice Department)
FBI Director Christopher Wray said last week that those granted security clearances are entrusted with protecting classified information and safeguarding the nation’s secrets. The allegations in the indictment, he added, "reveal a serious violation of that trust."
The leaked documents exposed secret assessments of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the capabilities and geopolitical interests of other nations and other national security issues.
Air Force officials reportedly ordered Teixeira in September and October 2022 to "cease and desist on any deep dives into classified intelligence information," according to The New York Times, which reported he had been caught accessing classified materials before.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Teixeira had previously been notified to focus on his own career duties and not to seek out intelligence products," a superior wrote in a memo dated Feb. 4, according to the report.
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Teixeira faces more than a decade in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if found guilty.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital's Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.