Henry Kyle Frese, 30, a DIA analyst, allegedly leaked classified information to journalists at CNBC and NBC (and was romantically involved with one of them, Amanda Macias). He was arrested when he arrived for work Monday morning.
He has been charged with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.
The two reporters are CNBC’s Amanda Macias, “Journalist 1” in the complaint, and MSNBCs’ Courtney Kube as the other.
The criminal complaint filed on October 9 in Eastern District of Virginia federal court stated Frese of Alexandria, Virginia, had been “caught red-handed disclosing sensitive national security information for personal gain.” The complaint adds that the disclosure of the information, “could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security of the United States.”
CNBC suspended Macias.
TRAITOROUS
“Henry Kyle Frese was entrusted with TOP SECRET information related to the national defense of our country,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Zachary Terwilliger said in a statement. “Frese allegedly violated that trust, the oath he swore to uphold, and is charged with engaging in dastardly and felonious conduct at the expense of our country. This indictment should serve as a clear reminder to all of those similarly entrusted with National Defense Information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic, it is criminal
Frese wanted to further journalist 1 (this appears to be Macias) in her career and helped journalist 2 if it helped journalist 1. Journalist 1 wrote 8 articles using the information.
Frese was a senior consultant at BAE Systems in Reston, Virginia. BAE is a British-based multinational defense contractor.
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HE’S AN ANTI-TRUMPER
Frese has sent out multiple tweets that are critical of President Donald Trump. In March 2018, Frese mocked a potential meeting between Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. In April 2017 joked that former White Advisor Seb Gorka was leaving to “oversee the PhD program at Trump University. In October 2016, Frese complimented South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker saying, “This season of South Park is amazing. Absolutely ruthless against Trump.”
The information Frese allegedly leaked, according to charging documents filed in Virginia, had to do with North Korea’s weapons system. The exact information is being kept quiet for the moment.
The FBI had Frese under surveillance and their evidence includes direct messages on Twitter with two journalists and a phone call.
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