FBI Whistleblower Arrested for Leaking Classified Information in New York
TL/DR –
FBI veteran and whistleblower Johnathan Buma was arrested just before boarding an international flight at JFK airport and is facing charges of illegally disclosing classified information. It is alleged that Buma systematically extracted confidential materials from the FBI’s internal systems and shared parts of a book draft via email that contained sensitive information about the FBI’s investigations into the weapons of mass destruction program of a foreign country. Buma, who previously accused the FBI of differential treatment of politically sensitive cases and claimed retaliation for his whistleblowing, was released on $100,000 bail, and his case will be managed in a California federal court.
Johnathan Buma, a seasoned FBI agent who exposed alleged political bias in the Trump administration, was apprehended at New York‘s JFK airport while preparing to board a foreign flight.
Buma, a veteran counterintelligence officer turned whistleblower, is now under indictment for unauthorized disclosure of classified data via a proposed book about his career.
Federal officials accuse Buma of systematically obtaining secret data from the FBI’s systems, generating around 130 documents bearing security alerts in October 2023 before taking a leave of absence.
Buma allegedly distributed draft excerpts of a book script via email featuring information on “the FBI’s examinations into a foreign country’s WMD program,” according to the filing.
At a Brooklyn court hearing, Buma was freed on $100,000 bail and the case is set to be tried in California federal court. No plea has been entered so far.
Buma was under investigation during the Biden era, with his home being searched towards the end of 2023.
In 2023, Buma talked to Business Insider about what he called unequal handling of politically sensitive cases. He recalled an event where he reportedly presented details about potential illegal activities involving Hunter Biden and Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, leading his superior to advance the case.
Buma, in a partially redacted Senate statement in 2023, conveyed his frustration and filed a whistleblower complaint in January 2022 accusing “multiple acts of intelligence suppression” relating to his reporting on foreign intelligence issues.
After the 2023 raid on Buma’s residence, his lawyer Scott Horton denied any illicit activities and stated no classified data was discovered.
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