Former Naval Intelligence Officer Arrested After Allegedly Leaking Nation’s ‘Most Closely Held Secrets’ To Romantic Partner For Publication

A former government contractor was arrested Friday morning after he allegedly leaked classified information to a romantic partner.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested District of Columbia resident Ian Brinksman, 42, for allegedly leaking national defense information to a woman he knew intended to publish classified information through her online Substack newsletter, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) stated in a Friday press release.

The DOJ did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

U.S. Government Contractor Arrested for Allegedly Leaking National Defense Information

“National defense information is classified to protect the American people from bad actors around the world who wish to do us harm,” said @AGToddBlanche. “The details alleged in this affidavit reflect the behavior of a government contractor who exempted himself from a federal law governing the protection of classified information. The Department of Justice will continue prosecuting individuals who leak classified information and put our national security at risk.”

Read more: https://t.co/uTDo8tiSjA

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) October 23, 2026

“The FBI arrested the subject after he was caught allegedly betraying his oath and leaking classified defense information,” FBI Director Kash Patel states in the release. “Protecting America’s secrets is a top counterintelligence priority of this FBI – and anyone caught abusing their position of trust within the government by jeopardizing national security and putting our brave warriors at risk will be met with the full weight of justice.”

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe also stated that the defendant provided services to the CIA as a contractor.

“The unauthorized release of classified material poses grave risks to our national security, intelligence sources, ongoing operations, and our officers,” Ratcliffe notes. “There is absolutely zero tolerance for leaking, and anyone who violates their oath will be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Brinksman worked for a U.S. government agency based in the Eastern District of Virginia beginning in 2020 before he started working as a government contractor for that same agency in 2022 as a developer for systems integration with a Top Secret security clearance, according to the criminal complaint.

At the time of writing, what appears to be Brinksman’s LinkedIn profile claimed he worked for the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer beginning in February 2020 before working for Deloitte as a senior strategy consultant in August 2022. It also claimed he has been an intelligence officer for the U.S. Navy since March 2020.

Brinksman, in November 2025, began dating a woman investigators believe is a journalist who started a Substack account focused on “Congress, War, and political economy.” Notably, she posted “I also accept leaks,” according to the affidavit. He allegedly contributed to five of her articles from March 11 through Oct. 5 containing Top Secret other highly classified information.