CIA contractor charged with leaking secrets about Israel to journalist girlfriend

(Oct. 26, 2026 / JNS)

A CIA contractor arrested on Oct. 23 allegedly leaked classified intelligence to a journalist he was dating, who then used the material in articles about Israel.

Ian Brinksman, 42, of Washington, D.C., was charged with unlawfully transmitting national defense information, the U.S. Department of Justice said. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Brinksman provided services to the agency and that his arrest followed a CIA referral.

An FBI affidavit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges that Brinksman accessed five classified reports outside the scope of his work. Investigators linked calls with his romantic partner, a journalist, to articles allegedly containing classified information.

The affidavit does not identify the journalist, but the New York Post reported that it was Aida Chavez, who wrote a Substack article on Oct. 5 titled “CIA report warns Israel could head toward civil war, total collapse,” along with other articles that match dates and times in the affidavit.

According to the court filing, on Nov. 20, 2025, Brinksman emailed a friend, describing how he was helping a journalist he was dating. “The lady I’ve been seeing is a journalist and recently went independent. So I’ve been helping her get that off the ground,” he allegedly wrote.

“It is a betrayal of his oath and the American people who entrusted him to fulfill his duties honorably,” stated John Eisenberg, assistant U.S. attorney general for national security.

Chavez has not been charged.