Latest news with #EspionageAct
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Miles Taylor Challenges Trump Over ‘Revenge' Probe
Miles Taylor photographed in 2020 in Washington, DC. Credit - Bill O'Leary—The Washington Post via Getty Images A former Homeland Security official whom President Donald Trump accused of potentially 'treasonous' conduct is challenging the President's use of federal power to investigate him, filing an Inspectors General complaint on Tuesday over what he calls an 'unconstitutional order that targets a citizen not for a crime but for dissent.' Miles Taylor, who served as chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's first term, is urging federal watchdogs at the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to investigate whether their departments are being weaponized to punish dissent through Trump's April 9 memo, in which he ordered an investigation into Taylor. 'The real harm will come if Trump's lieutenants are allowed to carry forward with these revenge investigations, unimpeded,' Taylor wrote in an op-ed for TIME published Tuesday. 'Indeed, it will create a precedent for this White House or any future president to investigate anyone they please.' Taylor penned a widely read anonymous 2018 New York Times opinion essay titled 'I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,' which set off a leak investigation at the White House. Soon after, Taylor left the Administration and published an anonymous 2019 book that chronicled his observations during Trump's first term in office. He later revealed his authorship and publicly campaigned against Trump's reelection. Taylor's complaint filed this week zeroes in on presidential memorandums Trump signed in April, which singled out Taylor and another official from Trump's first term—former cybersecurity official Chris Krebs—who publicly contradicted Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud after the 2020 election. Both Taylor and Krebs had their security clearances stripped. The memos marked a significant escalation in Trump's post-reelection efforts to use the power of his office to punish perceived enemies. Trump suggested that Taylor may have violated the Espionage Act and committed treason, a crime punishable by death. 'I think he's guilty of treason,' Trump said in the Oval Office when he signed the memo. Asked by TIME in April whether his memos calling for investigations into his critics were an appropriate use of presidential power—and whether they contradicted his own claims that former President Joe Biden had weaponized the government against him—Trump deflected: 'Oftentimes I'll have some people sitting right here, and behind them will be 10 or 15 people from their agency or their office, and they'll stand there, and then all of a sudden, I'll hear that like I'm, you know, they're all time experts in me,' Trump said. 'I know very little about Chris Krebs, but I think he was very deficient.' Taylor noted in his op-ed for TIME that Trump is following through on his earlier vows to punish him for speaking out. 'This is much bigger than me. This is about whether we will allow the President—any president, of any political party—to criminalize criticism,' Taylor wrote. 'That's why this Inspector General complaint matters.' Inspectors General are independent watchdogs embedded within federal departments, responsible for uncovering waste, fraud, abuse, and violations of law. By filing a complaint with the oversight bodies tasked with policing misconduct within the government, Taylor is seeking to trigger a formal investigation into whether federal agencies are being co-opted to serve the President's personal political agenda. Though Inspectors General lack enforcement power, their findings can lead to internal discipline, referrals to the Justice Department, or congressional scrutiny. Trump fired more than a dozen Inspectors General less than a week into his second term. Taylor's complaint asks the Inspectors General at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to determine whether Trump's memo is being used to initiate a politically motivated investigation into him in retaliation for public dissent. 'Now is the time for them to act,' he wrote, adding that 'DHS and DOJ watchdogs have a responsibility to investigate whether their departments are being misused to punish dissent, whether federal employees are violating constitutional rights, and whether this abuse of power is the beginning of something much worse.' Taylor and his legal team have argued that Trump's memo is 'unconstitutional' and warned that the President's directive amounted to 'an unprecedented' use of the executive branch to target a private citizen for exercising free speech. Taylor wrote that Trump's memo has upended his personal and professional life—forcing him to step away from his job because 'the blacklisting makes it impossible for me to carry out my work,' and exposing his family to harassment and doxxing by Trump supporters. A top Homeland Security official was even fired, he said, for attending his wedding. 'We are in a moment that will test democracy for the ages,' Taylor wrote. Write to Nik Popli at
Time Magazine
9 hours ago
- General
- Time Magazine
Miles Taylor Files First Legal Challenge As Named Target of Trump's Retaliatory Memo
A former Homeland Security official whom President Donald Trump accused of potentially 'treasonous' conduct is challenging the President's use of federal power to investigate him, filing an Inspectors General complaint on Tuesday over what he calls an 'unconstitutional order that targets a citizen not for a crime but for dissent.' Miles Taylor, who served as chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's first term, is urging federal watchdogs at the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to investigate whether their departments are being weaponized to punish dissent through Trump's April 9 memo, in which he ordered an investigation into Taylor. 'The real harm will come if Trump's lieutenants are allowed to carry forward with these revenge investigations, unimpeded,' Taylor wrote in an op-ed for TIME published Tuesday. 'Indeed, it will create a precedent for this White House or any future president to investigate anyone they please.' Taylor penned a widely read anonymous 2018 New York Times opinion essay titled 'I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,' which set off a leak investigation at the White House. Soon after, Taylor left the Administration and published an anonymous 2019 book that chronicled his observations during Trump's first term in office. He later revealed his authorship and publicly campaigned against Trump's reelection. Taylor's complaint filed this week zeroes in on presidential memorandums Trump signed in April, which singled out Taylor and another official from Trump's first term—former cybersecurity official Chris Krebs—who publicly contradicted Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud after the 2020 election. Both Taylor and Krebs had their security clearances stripped. The memos marked a significant escalation in Trump's post-reelection efforts to use the power of his office to punish perceived enemies. Trump suggested that Taylor may have violated the Espionage Act and committed treason, a crime punishable by death. 'I think he's guilty of treason,' Trump said in the Oval Office when he signed the memo. Asked by TIME in April whether his memos calling for investigations into his critics were an appropriate use of presidential power—and whether they contradicted his own claims that former President Joe Biden had weaponized the government against him—Trump deflected: 'Oftentimes I'll have some people sitting right here, and behind them will be 10 or 15 people from their agency or their office, and they'll stand there, and then all of a sudden, I'll hear that like I'm, you know, they're all time experts in me,' Trump said. 'I know very little about Chris Krebs, but I think he was very deficient.' Taylor noted in his op-ed for TIME that Trump is following through on his earlier vows to punish him for speaking out. 'This is much bigger than me. This is about whether we will allow the President— any president, of any political party —to criminalize criticism,' Taylor wrote. 'That's why this Inspector General complaint matters.' Inspectors General are independent watchdogs embedded within federal departments, responsible for uncovering waste, fraud, abuse, and violations of law. By filing a complaint with the oversight bodies tasked with policing misconduct within the government, Taylor is seeking to trigger a formal investigation into whether federal agencies are being co-opted to serve the President's personal political agenda. Though Inspectors General lack enforcement power, their findings can lead to internal discipline, referrals to the Justice Department, or congressional scrutiny. Trump fired more than a dozen Inspectors General less than a week into his second term. Taylor's complaint asks the Inspectors General at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to determine whether Trump's memo is being used to initiate a politically motivated investigation into him in retaliation for public dissent. 'Now is the time for them to act,' he wrote, adding that 'DHS and DOJ watchdogs have a responsibility to investigate whether their departments are being misused to punish dissent, whether federal employees are violating constitutional rights, and whether this abuse of power is the beginning of something much worse.' Taylor and his legal team have argued that Trump's memo is 'unconstitutional' and warned that the President's directive amounted to 'an unprecedented' use of the executive branch to target a private citizen for exercising free speech. Taylor wrote that Trump's memo has upended his personal and professional life—forcing him to step away from his job because 'the blacklisting makes it impossible for me to carry out my work,' and exposing his family to harassment and doxxing by Trump supporters. A top Homeland Security official was even fired, he said, for attending his wedding. 'We are in a moment that will test democracy for the ages,' Taylor wrote.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Techie working with the US government arrested for spying, here's how FBI 'trapped' him
The US government has arrested an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for allegedly attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign government. The arrest happened after the FBI received a tip that an individual offered to provide classified information to a 'friendly foreign government.' According to federal prosecutors, Nathan Vilas Laatsch , 28 — who held a Top Secret security clearance and worked in the DIA's Insider Threat Division since 2019 — repeatedly transcribed classified intelligence from his secure workstation and attempted to pass it to an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign government official. What the court documents reveal Court documents reveal that Laatsch first reached out to the foreign government via an email in March 2025, expressing his willingness to share classified material because he did not "agree or align with the values of this administration." In the email, he wrote that he was 'willing to share classified information' that he had access to, including 'completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.' On May 1, Laatsch allegedly left a thumb drive in a northern Virginia park, which the FBI retrieved later. Nathan Vilas Laatsch provided classified information A press release by the Department of Justice (DOJ) said that the thumb drive contained Secret and Top Secret materials along with a message offering 'a decent sample size' of intelligence products. He later expressed interest in receiving foreign citizenship in exchange for continuing to provide classified information. 'Because he did not 'expect[] things here to improve in the long term,' the release stated. Laatsch said that he was 'not opposed to other compensation,' and was not in a position where he needed to seek 'material compensation.' Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch reportedly transcribed more intelligence, concealed it in his clothing, and attempted a second dead drop at a prearranged location. He was arrested on May 29 after the FBI took possession of the documents. Laatsch is expected to appear in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia on Friday. The arrest was announced by top officials from the Justice Department, FBI, and U.S. Air Force. The FBI Washington Field Office is leading the investigation with assistance from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the DIA. Laatsch is charged with attempting to transmit national defense information under the Espionage Act.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pentagon Leaker Says He'd Do It All Again and Begs Trump for Pardon
The man who pleaded guilty to leaking top-secret military information online said he would do it all again. Former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, 23, used his high-level security clearance as a cyber transport systems specialist to access classified information, which he then posted online. He pleaded guilty in a plea deal and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in November. In his first interview from prison, Teixeira told ABC News that he regrets nothing. 'I've tortured myself over and over and over again about what would happen if I didn't do this or what would happen if this and that. And in reality, it doesn't really matter,' he said. 'I still do believe that, yes, I would have done it again.' Beginning as early as February 2022, Teixeira leaked sensitive intelligence on the social media platform Discord about North Korea, Israel, and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Leaked material included assessments of military actions, troop movements, and details of arms shipments—putting fellow soldiers' lives at risk in addition to jeopardizing strategic planning. Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said Teixeira did all of this 'in an attempt to impress anonymous friends on the internet.' Texeira struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to six charges of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. As part of the deal, he wasn't charged with additional counts under the Espionage Act. In the interview with ABC, Teixeira said he wants President Donald Trump to pardon him. His lawyers filed an application for a full pardon—not just a commutation of his sentence—on Wednesday. 'I think they'll look at someone like me as a supporter and someone who really used what I thought was going to be my last vote in county jail for Trump during 2024,' he said. Directly appealing to the president, he said: 'Please give me back to my family, to reunite with my family with my rights as an American and with my freedom.' His mother, Dawn Dufault, echoed his remarks: 'If he [Trump] agrees that it was unfair treatment, give him a pardon,' she said. Calling himself a 'patriot,' Teixeira added: 'It was by no means meant to harm my country, but I did believe that I needed to educate the people about what was going on because I believe they were being lied to.' He said he believes he accomplished his goal. 'I don't feel that I betrayed my country at all—just the opposite,' he said. 'I believe that I educated a lot of the people who have been kept in the dark and who were being lied to about this concerning all of the things that had been going on.' Teixeira added that an apology he made previously was intended for his friends and family, not the nation—because he still doesn't think he did anything wrong. 'I still believe in my actions,' he said, adding that the Biden administration made him a 'sacrificial lamb.' 'I was crucified to be made of as an example,' he said. Teixeira enlisted in the Air National Guard in 2019 and obtained top secret security clearance two years later, the Justice Department said.
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Jack Teixeira, leaker of classified military secrets, says in interview he ‘would have done it again'
Teixeira, speaking over the phone from federal prison, claimed he had been targeted by the Biden administration, arguing 'there are people who have done far worse things' with classified information who 'didn't get as bad of a treatment as I did.' 'I think that I was used as a sacrificial lamb, and I was crucified to be made of as an example,' he said in the interview. Related : Advertisement Teixeira, of Dighton, claimed the American people were being 'lied to' about the nature of military aid to Ukraine during its ongoing war with Russia. 'A lot of the things that the administration at the time was saying was wrong, it was misleading, it was outright false, or it was skewed, and essentially just, I wanted people to know exactly what was going on so that no one could say, 'Well, it was like this because the history book or the history textbook said it was,'' he said. Advertisement Teixeira, an I.T. specialist at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, admitted in federal court that, between January 2022 and April 2023, he posted highly classified documents on Discord, an online chat platform popular with gamers. He pleaded guilty in federal court to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act, and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. He was also An attorney for Teixeira filed an application for a pardon on Wednesday, according to 'Good Morning America.' Teixeira's mother said in the interview that her son was 'compelled to tell the truth" and that he 'didn't do it to harm the country.' Both she and Teixeira said they hoped Trump would approve the pardon. Teixeira added that Teixeira joined the Air Force National Guard at 18 and missed his high school graduation to attend basic training. He became isolated during the pandemic and formed friendships online, according to his lawyers. Prosecutors rejected that notion, saying that Teixeira exhibited 'an obsessive need to talk perhaps, not an obsessive need to tell the truth.' Material from previous Globe coverage was used. Advertisement Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
