A long-awaited Pentagon review has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth breached departmental policies by disclosing secret information in a Signal messaging chat, according to a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The chat group in question contained details about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a member.
Other officials in the group allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not authorized for transmitting sensitive material.
Potential Risk to Troops
The inspector general's report determined that the information shared by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the safety of US troops if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
Notably, the report also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the information he distributed, though it was unclear whether he actually exercised that authority.
Secretary's Reaction
The source indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he provided a short written response.
In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only shared information that would not have risked lives or compromised the operation. He further stated that he had the right to downgrade information and viewed the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been provided to Congress. An unclassified version is expected to be released later this week.
