NYT: Leader of online group where leak documents were posted is a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman

A 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman has been identified by The New York Times as the leader of an online gaming chat group where a trove of classified documents was posted. The Times reported Thursday that investigators want to talk to the service member and believe he has information relevant to the FBI’s ongoing investigation into the leak.

CNN has not independently verified the identity of the chat leader or the FBI’s interest in talking with him.

The FBI has narrowed the number of people who they believe could be responsible for the leaks and have been conducting interviews in recent days, two people briefed on the matter said. While there’s a large number of people who had access to the documents, investigators have been able to home in on a small number for closer scrutiny thanks to the forensic trail left by the person who posted the documents. Investigators are working on building a case for prosecution, people familiar with the matter say.

The FBI believes they are close to identifying the person behind the leak. Another source familiar with the criminal investigation said that they expect it will move along much more quickly than the Pentagon’s damage assessment.

Earlier Thursday, President Joe Biden appeared to suggest that the US government was close to identifying the leaker.

“There’s a full-blown investigation going on, as you know,” Biden said when asked for comment about the leaks. “The intelligence community and the Justice Department. And they’re getting close. I don’t have an answer for you.”