“I believe the Justice Department was politicized against President Trump and against me,” said Jack Teixeira in a 10 -minute speech before a martial court
The member of the US Air National Guard Jack Teixeira, convicted of disclosing Pentagon’s confidential information, declared on Thursday guilty of additional accusations before a martial court, appealing to the forgiveness of President Donald Trump.
In a 10 -minute speech, the 22 -year -old Lusodescendent claimed to be a “patriot” and said he disclosed confidential information to “expose and correct the lies that were said by [ex-]chairman [Joe] Biden and forcibly transmitted to the American people “on the war in Ukraine.
“I believe the Justice Department was politicized against President Trump and me,” added Teixeira, who said he acted alone and appealed to members of the new administration to reverse his convictions.
“If I saved an American, Russian or Ukrainian life in this war of money, my punishment was worth it,” said Teixeira, considered guilty of six accusations of retention and intentional transmission of national defense information under the espionage law, which earned him the conviction to 15 years in prison.
Teixeira admitted to having shared on the social network the secret documentation and the confession agreement established with the prosecution provides for his dishonorable military dismissal without penalty of additional arrest, but now facing in military court additional accusations of disobedience and obstruction to justice.
At the first hearing in a military court, on Monday, Teixeira’s lawyer, Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Poronsky, argued that the accusation of obstruction to justice should be rejected or not entailing a penalty, arguing that it is a double penalty, as it was already considered in Teixeira’s sentence in November.
Faced with military judge Vicki Marcus, the accusation argued that it was at stake a different conduct, at a different time from the acts that obstructed the court in the federal case.
The judge approved the agreement, but has not yet commented on the sentence, which should do today.
Jack Teixeira wore his military uniform for Hanscom Air Base procedures in Massachusetts and several family members attended the audience.
The young man, who was part of the 102nd Otis National Guard Base Information Unit in Massachusetts, worked essentially as a specialist in information technologies responsible for military communications networks.
Teixeira’s information escape exposed secret assessments of the Russian war in Ukraine, including data on troop movements and supply of material and equipment for Ukrainian troops.
Security violation forced the government of Biden to try to contain the diplomatic and military consequences and led the Pentagon to reinforce controls to protect confidential information, as well as penalizing members who intentionally ignored Teixeira’s suspicious behavior.
The young man admitted in court that he destroyed a mobile phone, a hard drive from a computer and an iPad, after seeing some news about the escape of documents, and also told a friend to destroy messages exchanged.
“I was scared of potential police investigation about me and my friends,” he said in court today.
The young man’s father, also named Jack Teixeira, described him as “a good kid, energetic, intelligent and different” and said he “got enthusiastic” when his son decided to enlist in the army for giving him a direction and the opportunity to see the world.
“He made a mistake,” said mother, Dawn Dufault, who argued that the young man “deserves a second opportunity.”
