A highly anticipated Pentagon review has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached departmental policies by disclosing 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 planned airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a member.
Other individuals in the group reportedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The investigation focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other participants do not work at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not authorized for transmitting classified information.
Serious Threat to Forces
The inspector general's report found that the intelligence shared by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the safety of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
Notably, the report also noted that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the information he shared, though it was unclear whether he actually did so.
Secretary's Reaction
The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a short written response.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only shared information that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized the mission. He further stated that he possessed the authority to declassify material and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Next Steps
The finalized investigation has been provided to Congress. An unclassified version is expected to be released later this week.
