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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday excoriated Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., over her defense of the Air National Guardsman suspected of leaking a trove of classified documents.
Greene defended the alleged leaker, Jack Teixeira, 21, in two tweets last week. The far-right lawmaker, who serves on the Homeland Security Committee, claimed that the Biden administration was “the real enemy” and had “lied to us from the very beginning.”
“If you’re a member of the military intelligence community and you disagree with American policy and you think you’re going to be okay when it comes to leaking classified information, you’re going to go to jail,” Graham said on ABC News’ “This Week.”
“It’s one of the most irresponsible statements she could make,” he added, condemning Greene’s comments.
Graham said he was worried about the ability of the U.S. to gather intelligence following the leak of Pentagon documents, adding that military members are “less safe” because of what the suspected leaker did.
“There is no justification for this,” Graham said. “And for any member of Congress to suggest it’s OK to leak classified information because you agree with the cause is terrible irresponsible and puts America in serious danger.”
Teixeira was arrested last week at a home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, more than an hour from the military base where he worked. He made his first court appearance a day later, and was charged with possessing classified documents pertaining to national security and possessing national defense materials. The charges carry a maximum of 10 years behind bars.
NBC News obtained more than 50 of the leaked documents, many of them labeled “Top Secret,” the highest level of classification. The classified documents reveal details of U.S. spying on Russia’s war machine in Ukraine and secret assessments of Ukraine’s combat power, as well as intelligence gathering on America’s allies, including South Korea and Israel.
Several lawmakers voiced worries on Sunday programs over the leaking of classified documents.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y,, who sits on the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, said that there will be a briefing with all senators this week and both panels will hold hearings on the matter.
“And the Intelligence Committee is also going to have a thorough investigation. We focused intensely on how we keep our secrets safe,” Gillibrand said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And I have a lot of questions about, why were these documents lying around? Why did this particular person have access to them? Where was the custody of the documents and who were they for?”
“We need to know the facts. We need to know who this airman was, why he felt he had the authority or ability to show off confidential documents, secret documents to his friends,” she added. “It sounds like he was extremely immature and someone who did not understand the weight and the importance of these documents. And so we need to figure it out and put proper protections in place.”
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said it’s too soon for people to praise or condemn the suspected leaker because an investigation hasn’t concluded yet.
“I want to know, I think like every other American, who was in charge. And each side right now — one side is calling him a traitor, the other side’s calling him a hero,” Mace said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
“But neither side has the information or the data to be able to make that decision yet because there’s been no investigation and we haven’t even had our first classified briefing, which will happen later this week when we’re back in session.”
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