Intelligence Employee Leaked Top Secret Information to Reporter With Whom He Was Romantically Involved, Feds Say

An employee for the Defense Intelligence Agency was arrested Wednesday on accusations that he disclosed classified information to two journalists, one of whom he had a romantic relationship with, the Justice Department said.

Henry Kyle Frese, 30, of Alexandria, was charged with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information, each carrying a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

Federal prosecutors say Frese, whose government security clearance allowed him access to top secret and sensitive information, accessed multiple classified intelligence reports and leaked information about a foreign country’s weapons systems to a journalist. Authorities say some of the reports Frese accessed were unrelated to his job duties.

“Frese was caught red-handed disclosing sensitive national security information for personal gain,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers said in a statement. “Frese betrayed the trust placed in him by the American people – a betrayal that risked harming the national security of this country.”

Dozens of Dem Lawmakers Push to Make Sure Parents Can’t Tell If Kids’ TV Shows Push Transgender Ideology

Illegal Alien Teacher Arrested for Allegedly Aiding Tren de Aragua Mass Shooting

Trump endorsement streak gets unusual boost with South Carolina GOP governor nomination

Trump scores major win as Congress passes housing crackdown on Wall Street investors

Authors of new Trump book reveal his health is the one mystery they couldn’t crack

Ultra-Orthodox Jews become political football for Netanyahu

Former SLED investigator who testified at Alex Murdaugh trial fired from Charleston County Sheriff’s Office

Senators unveil bipartisan bill to safeguard children from AI chatbots

Brooklyn coffee shop that targeted Jewish congressman faces DOJ probe after reported tax, health code issues

Nearby Residents Told to Stay Inside as Semi Carrying Millions of Bees Overturns

Senate Schedule Rearranged as Mitch McConnell Is Set to Miss Another Full Week of Voting

Republicans break with Trump to rebuke Iran war — but it won’t change policy

DHS demands New York sanctuary politicians honor detainer for man convicted of raping corpse on subway

Marjorie Taylor Greene follows Tucker Carlson in ditching the ‘America Last’ Republican Party

Iranian leaders project newfound confidence with international travel spree

The unauthorized disclosures to the two reporters happened in 2018 and 2019. Prior to that, from August 2017 to August 2018, Frese and one of the reporters lived together and appeared to have been involved in a romantic relationship, authorities say. They did not name the two journalists involved and did not say what their media affiliations were.

In April 2018, after Frese accessed one of the intelligence reports, the journalist asked if he’d be willing to speak with another reporter, prosecutors say. Frese then said he was “down” to help the second journalist — a colleague at an affiliated but different news outlet, authorities say.

The journalist whom authorities believe had a relationship with Frese published six articles related to information that Frese leaked, authorities say.

Federal authorities said Frese was “captured” last month on court-authorized surveillance of his cell phone orally transmitting classified national defense information to the second journalist

“Henry Kyle Frese was entrusted with top secret information related to the national defense of our country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney in Alexandria, Va. “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.”