Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman accused of posting a trove of secret paperwork to an internet chat group, pleaded not responsible to 6 counts of federal felony fees on Wednesday, two months after his arrest.
Airman Teixeira, showing in an orange jail uniform and recent buzz lower, sat quietly as a federal Justice of the Peace decide learn him his rights earlier than standing to say, “Not guilty, your honor,” throughout a 10-minute listening to in Worcester, Mass., attended by his household and dozens of media retailers.
His lawyer requested the decide, David H. Hennessy, to rethink an earlier resolution to carry Airman Teixeira with out bail indefinitely. But the decide rejected the request, saying that the circumstances haven’t modified for the reason that Justice Department efficiently argued that the airman’s historical past of violent threats and leaking made releasing him an unacceptable threat.
His subsequent court docket date, a convention to debate the standing of the case, was scheduled for early August. The subsequent vital authorized benchmark would be the number of a trial decide, who will set a trial timetable — if the 2 sides don’t attain a plea settlement first, as has typically occurred in latest instances involving the unlawful disclosure of presidency paperwork.
Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Airman Teixeira, who was given a prime safety clearance whereas assigned to an intelligence unit at an Air Force base on Cape Cod, on six counts of retaining and transmitting labeled nationwide protection data. If convicted, he might withstand 60 years in jail and $1.5 million in fines.
The indictment mentioned Airman Teixeira mishandled paperwork together with a report on the hacking of an unnamed U.S. firm’s accounts by “a foreign adversary,” details about the availability and supply of navy gear to Ukraine and a extremely delicate report on Russian and Ukrainian troop actions that may have compromised “classified sources and methods.”
Other paperwork included particulars of a overseas plot to focus on U.S. troops overseas that described “where and how” an assault may happen, the indictment mentioned.
Some of the supplies that Airman Teixeira is accused of posting on-line bore essentially the most extremely restricted classification markings, together with “sensitive compartmented information” that could possibly be saved and reviewed solely in a protected facility.
The case includes references to quite a few labeled paperwork and procedures, which has already led to delays, as each the prosecution and protection groups safe the correct safety clearances wanted to assessment proof, and even to interview Airman Teixeira.
On Wednesday, Michael Bachrach, Airman Teixeira’s New York-based lawyer, mentioned he was getting the mandatory clearances for the supplies wanted for the following court docket date. The prosecution mentioned it was possible that the scenario could be resolved inside the subsequent month.
Airman’s Teixeira’s attorneys have argued in court docket that their shopper naïvely believed that the fabric he shared with fellow customers on Discord, a social media platform widespread with avid gamers, wouldn’t be additional disseminated, although a few of his on-line pals lived in overseas nations.
He smiled and greeted members of the family seated collectively within the nook of the courtroom.
“We remain as committed as ever and our entire family continues to share complete and unwavering support of Jack as he faces this matter,” Jen Reed, a consultant of Airman Teixeira and his household, mentioned in an emailed assertion. “We realize there is a long road ahead.”
Airman Teixeira’s attorneys didn’t reply to reporters’ questions as they left the fifth-floor courtroom.
Source: www.nytimes.com