A long-awaited Department of Defense review has concluded that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing secret information in a private Signal group, according to a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The online conversation in dispute included particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This discussion was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was included as a member.
Other individuals in the chat allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The investigation did not examine the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Pentagon.
Signal is a publicly available messaging app that was not authorized for handling sensitive material.
Serious Risk to Troops
The inspector general's report found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the lives of US service members if it had been intercepted by a foreign enemy force.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the information he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally did so.
Secretary's Reaction
The informed individual said that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed information that would not have risked lives or compromised the mission. He further stated that he had the right to downgrade information and viewed the inspector general to be partisan.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been provided to Congress. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be released later this week.
