Over the last decade or so, we have had a real problem in our government and military with people putting other countries first or outright betraying our nation.
Unfortunately, that has continued under the Trump administration.
Thankfully, one betrayal has not lasted long, as reports surfaced this week that an arrest was made of a military member who was trying to pass on defense secrets.
In March 2024, Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member, pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents.
His plea included six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act.
He was publishing classified information on Discord, which is a messaging app primarily used by gamers.
His case not only showed the betrayal of his country, but it also showed a significant issue in leadership, which failed to report the full details of his actions.
One of the more concerning cases I have seen in our government was the case of Biden’s Iran envoy, Robert Malley.
Malley had his security clearance suspended after it was found that he had mishandled classified information.
As bad as that was, more troubling information surfaced later, when it was revealed that his office may not have been putting the concerns of the United States above those of Iran.
When you consider the tensions between Iran and the United States, it was beyond troublesome that we had someone deeply embedded in our government who appeared to be working on behalf of the terrorist nation.
That brings us to Taylor Adam Lee, a member of the U.S. Army who was allegedly passing classified information about our main battle tank to Russia in exchange for the promise of Russian citizenship.
Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command, stated, "This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army.”
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division added, "Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S. – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information."
This shows an alarming uptick of possible spy activity within our government and military, reminiscent of the lead-up to the “year of the spy,” which resulted in numerous American and Russian assets being exposed by each side. We have a real problem here, and I am hoping that Hegseth and the Trump administration find a way to root this out and end it.
