(Zero Hedge)—A civilian United States Air Force employee has been arrested for using a foreign dating website to share classified information with someone presenting the personality of a flirtatious woman in Ukraine. The indictment provides no information about the identify of the person on the other end of the conversation, but it’s easy to imagine the chump was unwittingly vying for the affection of a couple of chuckling Russian intel officers named Boris and Dmitry.
The man apparently caught in a honey trap is David Franklin Slater, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel who held a top secret clearance while assigned to United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) at Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said the 63-year-old Slater showed a “blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets.”
In his role at Strategic Command, Slater attended briefings on the Ukraine war that were classified “Top Secret // Sensitive Compartmented Information.” Seemingly entranced by flirty conversation and ego-stroking — e.g., “you are my secret informant love!” — Slater allegedly shared classified information about military targets in the Ukraine war and America’s assessment of Russian military capabilities.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. According to the indictment, Slater’s communications with the purported Ukrainian woman — identified in the indictment as “Co-Conspirator 1” — started that same month and continued into April of that year, when Slater left the job under circumstances that have yet to be publicized.
For weeks, via email and the unidentified foreign dating site, the “woman” repeatedly fawned over Slater, using his/her wiles to press him to spill secrets:
- March 7: “American Intelligence says that already 100% of Russian troops are located on the territory of Ukraine. Do you think this information can be trusted?”
- March 11: “Dear, what is shown on the screens in the special room?? It is very interesting.”
- March 15: “By the way, you were the first to tell me that NATO members are traveling by train and only now (already evening) this was announced on our news. You are my secret informant love! How were your meetings? Successfully?”
- March 18: “Beloved Dave, do NATO and Biden have a secret plan to help us?”
- March 23: “Dave, 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.”
- April 12: “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!”
- April 14: “My sweet Dave, thanks for the valuable information, it’s great that two officials from the USA are going to Kyiv.”
- April 19: “Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very unpleasant “surprise” for Putin! Will you tell me?”
- April 21: “You have a job in the Operations Center today, I remember, I’m sure there is a lot of interesting news there?”
The April 14 message from Slater’s love-target, in which “she” thanks him for sharing information about two American officials visiting Kiev, seemingly refers to a visit from Montana Senator Steve Daines and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz. That’s the conclusion of the New York Post, which notes they were the first American government officials to travel to Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.
ZeroHedge was unable to determine Slater’s marital status or find a photo of him. He will appear in court on Tuesday. Charged with one count of conspiracy to disclose national security information and two counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information, Slater faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 per count.
Given the steep price he’s poised to pay, Slater can only hope that, if he was throwing secrets to a Russian, it was at least a Russian like this:
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