A highly anticipated Department of Defense review has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by sharing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, according to a source familiar with the report.
Details of the Incident
The chat group in question included particulars about a planned airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi militants. This discussion was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other individuals in the chat reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The investigation focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Pentagon.
Signal is a publicly available communication application that was not approved for handling sensitive material.
Serious Risk to Troops
The inspector general's report found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and could have endangered the lives of US service members if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he actually did so.
Secretary's Response
The source said that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a short written response.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed information that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the operation. He added that he had the right to declassify material and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Next Steps
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is anticipated to be released later this week.
