Leaker of U.S. secret documents claims to work on military base

The Washington Post reported Wednesday (local time) that the first leaker of the classified U.S. documents was a male in his early to mid-20s who used the nickname “OG.” He claimed to work at a U.S. military base and posted more than 300 confidential documents in a chat room on the gamers-focused chat platform called “Discord,” which was identified as the source of the leak.

OG created a chat room centered around the military YouTubers called “Thug Shaker Central” in 2019 and acted as its leader.

According to two participants interviewed by the Washington Post, OG often displayed extremist right-wing tendencies and claimed that the “U.S. intelligence agencies oppress citizens.” He also posted videos of himself shooting large rifles at a shooting range while using racial slurs and anti-Semitic streaks. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the United States' surveillance of its allies.

The participants said OG regularly posted confidential documents in the chat room every week since last year. Initially, he typed each line himself, but after losing the attention of other members, he posted pictures of documents. However, he stopped sharing the documents after they started in other chat rooms at the end of February.

OG claimed that he is working at a U.S. military base. The documents he posted included expected trajectories of North Korean nuclear weapons, including the ICBMs, photos of Chinese observation balloons taken by U.S. high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft U-2, and detailed charts on the state of the Ukrainian war. Since the information can only be seen by individuals who have passed the U.S. government’s identity verification process, which typically takes several months, speculation is brewing that OG may have an actual connection to the U.S. military.

“OG is a smart man," one participant in the chat room said. "The leak is not accidental.” Both participants who spoke with the Washington Post know OG’s real name and place of residence, but they refused to disclose the information until the authorities identify his identity and whereabouts.

It appears that OG wielded a significant influence in his chat room, where most participants were minors. After the investigation of the documents following the New York Times’ report on April 6, OG ordered his fellow chatters to hide and delete all information about him and disappeared. One participant expressed a sense of loss, saying, “He was like an uncle and a father to me. It feels like I’ve lost a family member.”


asap@donga.com