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.”

California authorities search for 2 children allegedly abducted by father, fear for their safety

At least 1 shot, 1 detained after reported active shooter at Texas mall: police

Federal appeals court rejects Trump bid to enforce mail ballot order ahead of midterm elections

Second House Discovered Related to Family With 16 ‘Almost Feral’ Children – Building Described as ‘Just Urine, Feces’

India’s education minister resigns after student protests over medical exam leaks

EXCLUSIVE: Alleged $32M COVID-19 fraud fugitive captured in Jamaica and returned to US, FBI says

Court checks Pritzker as Trump administration scores another immigration win

NYC 5-alarm fire injures at least 17 firefighters, others as blaze damages multiple apartment buildings

Katy Perry ‘appalled’ to see her song used on White House TikTok account

Biden judge blocking Ethiopian deportations despite SCOTUS ruling clashed with ICE before

Fewer Gay Professionals Feel Being Gay Helps Their Career

Trump defends New York Times subpoenas as judge seeks internal DOJ communications

State Officials Blamed Citizens for Death of Bear Stuck Atop Power Pole, but What Bystander Says She Saw Changes Everything

Maine Democrats crown Troy Jackson as Platner replacement as fresh scrutiny clouds Senate reset

Pentagon Official Calls Ex-White House AI Architect ‘Village Idiot’ in China Policy Spat

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.”