Leader of chat group where US intel docs leaked is National Guardsman: Report

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The source of an apparent intelligence leak that has roiled close US allies and partners, and made public embarrassing details of American intelligence collection worldwide, may be an Air National Guardsman, according to a report published Thursday.

The leader of the chat group channel where the documents were first disseminated is Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who led the Thug Shaker Central Discord chat, the New York Times reported.

Two anonymous officials confirmed to the newspaper that federal investigators want to speak with Teixeira about the unauthorized disclosures. One official -- it is unclear if the individual is one of the two cited by the Times or another individual altogether -- said Texeira might have information relevant to the investigation.

Teixeira, however, has not been named as a suspect, the Times said.

The bombshell report comes just hours after US President Joe Biden said federal investigators are "getting close" to identifying the source of the Pentagon documents leak.

"There’s a full-blown investigation going on, as you know, with the intelligence community and the Justice Department. And they’re getting close," he told reporters in Ireland where he is making his first official visit since coming to office in 2021.

In interviews with four members of the Thug Shaker Central chat group, the New York Times said the group's leader was described as older than the young men and teenagers who made up the group, and had access to US intelligence documents through his job.

The group members did not identify the leader by name, but the Times said an analysis of online activity and information, including a gamer profile, led them to determine the individual is Teixeira.

Many of the apparent classified US documents that circulated online were crudely taken photos of documents with markings bearing varying levels of classification and appear to be folded.

The Times said the photos included background details that matched photos of Teixeira’s childhood home that were posted on social media.

Texeira's mother, Dawn, confirmed her son serves in the Air National Guard, and said he had recently changed his telephone number during an interview outside her home.

A man whom the Times said appeared to be Teixeira later drove on to the property and was seen standing with Dawn in the driveway. When asked if Airman Teixeira could speak, the man said, “He needs to get an attorney if things are flowing the way they are going right now. The Feds will be around soon, I’m sure.”

NBC News subsequently reported that law enforcement has identified Teixeira as a suspect with officials who spoke on condition of anonymity saying an arrest is imminent.