A long-awaited Department of Defense report has concluded that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing secret intelligence in a private Signal group, according to a source familiar with the report.
Details of the Incident
The chat group in dispute contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi militants. This chat was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was included 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 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 handling classified information.
Serious Threat to Troops
The internal investigation determined that the intelligence shared by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to the lives of US service members if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.
However, the document acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the material he shared, though it was not specified whether he formally exercised that authority.
Hegseth's Response
The source indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed details that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the mission. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the inspector general to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been provided to lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be made public in the coming days.
