Defense Department Investigation Concludes Defense Secretary Put Troops in Danger with Messaging App Conversation.
A long-awaited Pentagon review has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified information in a private Signal group, according to a person briefed on the findings.
Particulars of the Event
The online conversation in question contained details about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This discussion came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was added 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 report did not examine the conduct of Hegseth, as the other participants do not work at the Pentagon.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not approved for transmitting classified information.
Potential Risk to Forces
The inspector general's report determined that the information circulated by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US service members if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the material he shared, though it was unclear whether he actually did so.
Hegseth's Reaction
The source indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only shared information that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized the operation. He added that he had the right to downgrade information and considered the investigation to be partisan.
Future Actions
The completed report has been shared with lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be released in the coming days.
