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.”

Watch: Young Americans Turn National Mall Into Wild Celebration of Patriotism as US Scores Big World Cup Win

Watch: Pete Hegseth Skewers ‘Blinded by Ideology’ Protesters Who Interrupted Moment of Silence for Fallen Soldier

Video shows moments before Army veteran was fatally shot in Walmart parking lot dispute

WWII pilot missing after secret spy mission finally accounted for more than 80 years later

Trump’s ‘hero’ justice offers roadmap after Supreme Court rejects birthright order

Former KKK Grand Wizard praises Mamdani-endorsed socialist’s stance on interracial marriage

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Declares War on the Senate Over SAVE America Act

MUST SEE: The Moment Actual Rough Riders Escort Trump’s Motorcade to the Teddy Roosevelt Library

Couple who climbed Empire State Building for engagement out on ‘supervised release’

Vatican says SSPX in schism, affirms excommunication of laity and clerics

Out of Control Tim Walz Pardons, Releases Illegal Child Rapist, Now ICE Likely Can’t Deport Him

Biden ‘madness’ still being revealed as father killed, children kidnapped by terror group member: DOJ

‘Corruption’ Allegations Fly as Controversial Referee Decision Dents US World Cup Hopes

WATCH: Lawler unloads on Raskin after fiery immigration hearing: ‘Grow the f— up’

Young psychotherapist mom butchered inside home as cops scramble to find her killer

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.”