A highly anticipated Department of Defense report has concluded that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing secret information in a private Signal group, according to a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Event
The online conversation in question included particulars about a planned air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This discussion was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other officials in the group reportedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor 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 messaging app that was not authorized for transmitting classified information.
Potential Risk to Forces
The internal investigation found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the safety of US troops 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 shared, though it was unclear whether he formally did so.
Hegseth's Reaction
The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a short written response.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only shared details that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the mission. He added that he had the right to declassify material and considered the inspector general to be partisan.
Future Actions
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is anticipated to be released in the coming days.
