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.”

Elon Musk warns ‘people will die’ over Mamdani’s FDNY commissioner pick, Lillian Bonsignore

FBI ramps up counter-drone efforts as Patel warns of growing threats from criminals, terrorists

Florida bell ringer allegedly tries to ‘impale’ store manager with donation tripod while drunk

Year in focus: Images that defined America in 2025

Affordability: The issue that boosted Trump and Republicans in 2024 deflated them in 2025

We’re Headed for a ‘Build, Baby, Build’ Energy Revolution in 2026

Murder in small-town America: The crimes that tore quiet communities apart in 2025

Texas father rescues kidnapped daughter by tracing her phone’s location, sheriff’s office says

2025 shockers: The biggest moments that rocked the campaign trail

They Got Her: FBI Caught Hillary Clinton Talking Donations with Foreign Felon on Tape

The True Story of St. Nicholas Is Much Better Than the Myths About Reindeer and the North Pole

Schumer Sinks to Lowest Approval Rating of All US Political Leaders

Most shocking examples of Chinese espionage uncovered by the US this year: ‘Just the tip of the iceberg’

Crime lords turn Motor City into car-theft supermarket for Middle East buyers: ‘Somebody’s getting paid’

LeBron’s Friend and Head Coach Eviscerates His Team After Christmas Meltdown: ‘Don’t Care Enough to Be a Professional’

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.”