Military leak suspect got top security clearance despite being denied gun license: prosecutors

Suspected military leaker Jack Teixeira was given top security clearance even after local authorities refused to grant him a gun license because of racist and violent rhetoric, legal papers state.

In a pre-trial motion for detention, prosecutors said Teixeira "held a security clearance at the Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented information level since 2021."

The motion also detailed Teixeira's high school behavior.

"In March 2018, while still in high school, the Defendant was suspended when a classmate overheard him make remarks about weapons, including Molotov cocktails, guns at the school, and racial threats," the document stated.

Teixeira was later denied a firearms identification card.

"In 2018, while still a teenager, the Defendant applied for a firearms identification card ('FID')," the motion said. "His application was denied due to the concerns of the local police department over the Defendant's remarks at his high school."

Teixeira is accused of leaking dozens of secret documents on the internet. Federal prosecutors argued that he should not be released before trial because he still may have access to sensitive documents.