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.”

White House considers plan to build permanent fencing around Lafayette Park

Man arrested on suspicion of murdering British politician Ann Widdecombe

Erika Kirk urges judge to clear path quickly for Tyler Robinson murder trial

Biden Immigrant Trucker from Muslim Country Reportedly Rammed, Killed College Soccer Goalie – Had to Use Translation App to Talk with Cops

Trump Tells Reporter Iran Will Pay Dearly if He is Assassinated: ‘I’ve Left Instructions’

Intel expert says Singham network is more than a nonprofit scandal—it’s a security threat

Cause of death revealed for American mother murdered in Ireland: report

NJ husband begs for CPR help in 911 call after wife found dead with stab wounds: audio

New Trump UFO file dump includes military footage of mysterious star-shaped object

Graphic: Another Muslim Activist Freaks Out, Demanding We Confine Our Dogs According to the Will of Allah

Video Emerges Showing Mitch McConnell Taken to Hospital After Cardiac Arrest – Report

Peter Navarro seeks ‘precedent for years to come’ with renewed contempt fight

Trump administration expands ‘Product of USA’ label as push for American-raised beef grows

Mamdani official’s planned meeting with Iran envoy shut down by State Department

Iran will target Israel if US continues strikes after ceasefire collapses, official warns

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.”