Rep. Turner praises arrest of suspect accused of leaking classified documents

WASHINGTON D.C. — Dayton Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, released a statement Thursday on the arrest of the individual suspected of leaking classified documents.

>>Pentagon leak: Suspect arrested after classified documents appear on Discord

“Leaking classified information jeopardizes our national security, negatively impacts our relationship with our allies, and places the safety of U.S. military and intelligence personnel at grave risk,” said Turner. “While we seek to learn the extent of classified information released and how to mitigate the fallout, the House Intelligence Committee will examine why this happened, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and how to prevent future leaks. Congratulations to law enforcement for locating and apprehending the alleged criminal.”

Federal authorities took a member of the U.S. Air Force National Guard into custody on Thursday in connection with the investigation into highly classified U.S. intelligence that has recently been leaked online.

Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that the FBI took Jack Teixeira into custody without incident on Thursday afternoon, “in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information.”

>>RELATED: Guardsman arrested in leak of classified military documents

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday that authorities are reviewing their procedures in the wake of the leak. He called the incident a “deliberate criminal act” meant to circumvent guidelines and rules put in place to keep sensitive information restricted on a need-to-know basis.

“This was a deliberate criminal act to violate those guidelines and rules in the same way that if you locked your front door and somebody came into your house and took something, you followed your procedures and you locked your door, but somebody went in your house and took something and put it out on the street,” he said.

We will continue to provide updates of this developing story.

©2023 Cox Media Group