Former Fort Bragg contractor charged with leaking classified info – Spectrum News

Former Fort Bragg contractor charged with leaking classified info  Spectrum News

The Spring Lake man posted national defense info on social media and stole night-vision goggles, officials say. James Ashbacher was arrested Tuesday. A former Army contractor at Fort Bragg posted classified information on social media and stole night vision goggles, federal authorities say. James Ashbacher, 37, of Spring Lake was arrested Tuesday by the FBI, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday in a news release. Ashbacher had Top Secret clearance for his job with a company doing security work for the Army Special Operations Command, which has its headquarters at the base, officials said. Over about three years, he photographed and removed videos that had images of classified military operations and posted them on a social media platform, officials said.

Other users reposted the classified materials to a different site, and Ashbacher asked in private messaging that some be taken down, saying he was “trying to do some damage control,” officials said. The release did not specify the social media platforms or the company Ashbacher worked for. When FBI agents searched Ashbacher’s home, they found a Special Ops Command night-vision goggle system that had been reported missing, officials said. He faces charges including unlawfully transmitting and retaining national defense information and theft of government property, officials said. President Donald Trump late Friday urged that Ashbacher be “locked up.” “This is