A long-awaited Department of Defense review has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by sharing secret information in a private Signal group, as stated by a source familiar with the report.
Details of the Event
The chat group in question contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was added 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 focused solely on the actions of Hegseth, as the other participants do not work at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a publicly available communication application that was not authorized for transmitting classified information.
Serious Risk to Forces
The inspector general's report determined that the information circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the lives of US troops if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
Notably, the report acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the information he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.
Secretary's Response
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth asserted he only shared details that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the operation. He added that he possessed the authority to declassify material and viewed the investigation to be partisan.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been shared with Congress. An unclassified version is anticipated to be made public in the coming days.
