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 chat group in question included details about a scheduled air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This discussion came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other officials in the group allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials do not work at the Pentagon.
Signal is a publicly available communication application that was not authorized for transmitting sensitive material.
Serious Risk to Troops
The internal investigation determined that the information circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the lives of US troops if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
However, the report acknowledged that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the material he shared, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.
Hegseth's Response
The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only shared details that would not have risked lives or compromised the mission. He added that he possessed the authority to downgrade information and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been provided to Congress. An publicly releasable copy is anticipated to be released in the coming days.
