Government contractor arrested for allegedly leaking national defense information

Federal authorities arrested a government contractor and charged him with leaking classified national defense information, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday.

FBI investigators have accused 42-year-old Ian Brinksman, an employee of a third-party company which provided services to a government agency, of leaking national defense information to his girlfriend, who writes an online publication on Substack.

“A fundraising article reportedly published by Individual 1 in September 2026 claimed Individual 1 had “published reporting based on classified [relevant U.S. government agency] assessments.” Individual 1 posted on her social media profile, “I also accept leaks,” the DOJ said in its release.

Brinkman was arrested following a search of his Washington, D.C., home.

Quotes included in the affidavit match........

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