Leaked U.S. documents suspect shared info earlier than previously known

The New York Times has reported that the U.S. Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents to a group of gamers had been posting sensitive information on a much larger chat group months earlier than previously known. The individual, identified as Jack Teixeira, allegedly posted secret intelligence on the Russia-Ukraine conflict in a chat group on social platform Discord with around 600 members, which was publicly listed on a YouTube channel and easily accessible. The Pentagon declined to comment on the new information. Teixeira was arrested last week and charged with violating the Espionage Act for copying and transmitting sensitive defense material, as well as unlawfully removing defense material to an unauthorized location. Legal experts suggest that additional charges may be forthcoming. The leaks, believed to be the most serious U.S. security breach since the 2010 WikiLeaks dump, were only uncovered when the New York Times reported on them in early April, despite the documents having been posted much earlier.

Sources: CGTN