A long-awaited Department of Defense review has concluded that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing classified information in a private Signal group, as stated by a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Event
The online conversation in question contained details about a planned airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This discussion came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other officials in the group allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the actions of Hegseth, as the other participants do not work at the Pentagon.
Signal is a publicly available messaging app that was not authorized for handling classified information.
Serious Risk to Troops
The inspector general's report found that the intelligence shared by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US troops if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
Notably, the report acknowledged that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the information he shared, though it was not specified whether he actually did so.
Secretary's Response
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a short written response.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only shared details that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the mission. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been provided to Congress. An unclassified version is expected to be made public later this week.
