The 63-year-old retired Army lieutenant colonel is accused of transmitting confidential information to a person claiming to be a woman living in Ukraine.
A civilian US Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified information about the Ukraine conflict on a foreign online dating platform, according to a press release by the Justice Department on Monday.
David Franklin Slater, 63, who authorities say retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the US Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested on March 2 on charges of illegally disclosing national defense information and conspiring to do so.
According to a statement by Matthew G. Olsen, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Slater acted “in blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets.”
Starting in February 2022, according to the indictment, Slater attended top secret briefings about the Ukraine conflict and then allegedly transmitted the sensitive information that he learned from those briefings via the foreign online dating website’s messaging platform to his co-conspirator, who claimed to be a female living in Ukraine.
The indictment suggests that the alleged co-conspirator, who is not identified by prosecutors, regularly asked Slater to provide her with “sensitive, non-public, closely held and classified” information and called Slater in their messages her “secret informant love” and her “secret agent.”
In one such a message sent less than a month after the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, the purported woman reportedly asked “Beloved Dave, do NATO and Biden have a secret plan to help us?”
There also appeared to be discussions between the two on weapons shipments to Ukraine and a NATO “surprise” for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first. I hope you will tell me right away? You are my secret agent. With love,” the person told Slater.
Another message reads: “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!”
The person also asked in another communication: “Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very unpleasant ‘surprise’ for Putin! Will you tell me?”
Slater “indeed provided classified [national defense information]” to his co-conspirator, the Justice Department said.
According to the indictment, the person also showed a keen interest in Slater’s visits to the air base, asking him once: “Dear, what is shown on the screens in the special room?? It is very interesting.”
Slater is due to make his first court appearance on Tuesday. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to transmit and the transmission of national defense information, the Justice Department has said.
Image credit: Ales Nesetril
Russia and Putin are NOT America’s enemies;
Israel, however, is, as noted by the late Congressman Jim Traficant!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKydyiPvmZ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCnHkjkJFOc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xMzb-SvWcE
It’s frustrating that Congress, and many aspects of American influence and business have ignored the warnings. The end result of Israel can now be seen in Gaza and the West Bank, and-
It will NOT stop there!
What a sucker! Was probably talking to a man lol.
He just thought his mails were private….. but some one seems to be watching over our shoulder. I wonder who ???
Some of the most brainwashed and stupid people are in the Officer Corps of the U.S. Military, and-
They never want to rock the boat with trying to change the system.
This indicates that the ‘leadership’ is not that at all, but merely mealy-mouthed cowards who don’t give a shit about those serving under them!
The U.S. JCS is a prime example complete with ‘wokeness’ and ‘political correctness’.
Anyone who dares to step-up and make proposed changes are quickly dealt with via the UCMJ, RIF papers or a ‘less-than-honourable’ Discharge.
This is why the USAF and it’s affiliates got rid of the Warrant Officer Corps, as the Warrants were effective in leadership, insight and performance. Most came from experiences based in the Enlisted Ranks, and could see thru the political bullshit that the Commissioned Corps exuded and was infested with!
Most chopper pilots in Vietnam and Army Boat Operators were Warrant Officers, and they are still in force today!