The Air Pressure worker has pleaded responsible to leaking prime secret knowledge to an unknown lady on a overseas relationship platform
A retired US Military officer has admitted to leaking categorized details about the Ukraine battle to a girl he met on a overseas relationship web site, in keeping with a press launch by the US Justice Division final week.
David Slater, 64, was working as a civilian worker for the Air Pressure at US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) when he’s stated to have conspired to transmit nationwide protection info.
The leaks occurred from February to April 2022, through the early levels of the Russia-Ukraine battle. USSTRATCOM is chargeable for overseeing the nation’s nuclear command and management methods.
Slater held a prime secret safety clearance and labored in a categorized area at Offutt Air Pressure Base in Nebraska. He attended briefings that included intelligence categorized as much as prime secret. Prosecutors stated he later shared info from these briefings with an individual who claimed to be a Ukrainian lady.
The 2 communicated utilizing a messaging characteristic on an unnamed overseas relationship platform. Based on courtroom filings, the girl repeatedly prompted Slater to disclose delicate particulars and referred to him with phrases equivalent to “my secret informant love” and “my undercover agent.” In a single message, she requested, “Expensive, what’s proven on the screens within the particular room??”
Prosecutors stated the knowledge he disclosed included army targets, Russian army capabilities, and US and NATO planning.
The id of the girl has not been made public and it’s unclear whether or not she was working for a overseas authorities.
US Legal professional Lesley Woods stated Slater “failed in his obligation” to guard categorized info. FBI Particular Agent Eugene Kowel stated the officer “betrayed an oath” to safeguard nationwide intelligence.
Slater faces as much as ten years in jail for the leaks, however might serve a fraction of this underneath a plea settlement. His sentencing is ready for October 8.
The case follows the same breach in 2023 involving Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard, who admitted to posting extremely categorized paperwork on Discord, together with battlefield maps and intelligence assessments concerning the Ukraine battle.
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