A highly anticipated Department of Defense review has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing secret intelligence in a private Signal group, as stated by a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The online conversation in question contained particulars about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other officials in the chat reportedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the conduct of Hegseth, as the other participants are not employed at the Pentagon.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not approved for handling classified information.
Potential Threat to Forces
The internal investigation determined that the intelligence shared by Hegseth was secret and could have endangered the safety of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
However, the report also noted that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he actually exercised that authority.
Secretary's Reaction
The informed individual said that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed details that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the operation. He further stated that he possessed the authority to declassify material and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The completed report has been shared with lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is anticipated to be released later this week.
