Watchdog files complaint over photo revealing identities of Delta Force soldiers

The government watchdog Protect the Public's Trust said Wednesday it filed a complaint to the Justice Department over a photo that the White House posted online featuring President Joe Biden meeting with members of the elite U.S. Army "Delta Force" counterterrorism team in Israel.

The photo was on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for several hours before it was removed, but it featured the men's faces and identifying tattoos in what Protect the Public's Trust says is a dangerous security procedure breach and a possible Espionage Act violation.

The White House later apologized for the incident, but Protect the Public's Trust says it still "should be thoroughly investigated, given the dissent of some Biden administration personnel from the U.S.’s staunch support for Israel," as shown by how many Biden administration appointees have expressed anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiments. 

The complaint was filed with the Justice Department on Tuesday over the post.

"Whoever posted the unredacted photo at best compromised mission effectiveness and, at worst, endangered the lives of some of our finest warriors," the watchdog's director, Michael Chamberlain, said. "Given the opposition to supporting Israel from members of our own government, the Justice Department must investigate whether the incident is a violation of the Espionage Act. We owe that to the Delta operators who put their lives on the line protecting this country."

Biden visited Israel last week after more than 1,400 people, including at least 31 U.S. citizens, were killed and more than 200 others were taken hostage on Oct. 7 by Hamas, marking the largest mass-murder of Jews since the Holocaust. 

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