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What to know about the Espionage Act and Signalgate


Published on 2025-03-26 14:22:12 - Axios
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  • Trump administration officials' use of a Signal chat that included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, rocked Washington this week, raising questions about possible violations of the Espionage Act.

The article from MSN discusses the Espionage Act of 1917, a U.S. federal law that criminalizes the unauthorized handling of national defense information, particularly in contexts that could harm the United States or benefit foreign entities. It highlights the case of Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, who was charged under this act for allegedly leaking classified military documents on Discord, an event dubbed "SignalGate." The piece explains that the Espionage Act has been historically used to prosecute individuals for leaking information, with notable cases including those of Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden. It also touches on the complexities of the law, which does not differentiate between intent to harm the U.S. and other motivations for leaking, leading to debates over its application in the digital age where information sharing is rampant. The article notes that while the Act aims to protect national security, its broad scope often raises concerns about freedom of the press and whistleblower protections.

Read the Full Axios Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/what-to-know-about-the-espionage-act-and-signalgate/ar-AA1BIfDb ]