WASHINGTON — Pentagon officials called for reinforcing security policies and practices to ensure accountability “down to the lowest levels of the department” in a review of a leak of classified information allegedly by a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman.
At the same time, the study ordered in April by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned against overclassifying data out of an excess of caution, potentially impeding the distribution of needed information. A public summary of the document was released Wednesday.
The review was initiated after the April arrest of Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who was charged over a massive disclosure of intelligence secrets. A federal grand jury last month indicted Teixeira on six counts of retaining and transmitting classified national defense information.
