In The News

By Michael Katz    |   Thursday, 13 April 2023 03:13 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/rick-allen-u-s-allies/2023/04/13/id/1116079/

A massive leak of U.S. government secrets through a private chat room on an online platform popular with gamers shows Congress needs to scrutinize America's intelligence community and the way government officials handle classified documents, Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., told Newsmax on Thursday.

The FBI arrested Jack Teixeira, 21, a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, in connection with the disclosure of military documents that has strained relations with U.S. allies and exposed weaknesses in Ukraine's military, The New York Times reported.

"We've got to really do an audit of our intelligence community and make sure that these folks are properly trained and know this information is putting our intelligence officers at great risk," Allen told "American Agenda."

Allen laughed when he was told President Joe Biden said in Ireland he wasn't concerned about the disclosures. Biden followed up by saying, "I'm concerned that it happened but there is nothing contemporaneous that I'm aware of that is of great consequence."

"I am very concerned about this," Allen said. "Obviously, [Congress gets] back in session next week, and I'm hoping that we'll get a classified briefing on this."

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the individual who leaked the information shared documents with a small circle of online friends on the Discord chat platform, which is popular with gamers. In that group, The Post reported, Teixeira's handle was "jackthedripper."

"It doesn't sound like this young person profited from this," Allen said. "It was just kind of games and, of course, with social media and all the networks out there, nothing is safe anymore."