Pentagon Report Finds Defense Secretary Placed Troops in Jeopardy with Signal Conversation.
A highly anticipated Department of Defense review has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified information in a Signal messaging chat, as stated by a person briefed on the findings.
Particulars of the Event
The online conversation in question contained details about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi militants. This discussion came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other officials in the chat reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The investigation focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other participants are not employed at the Pentagon.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not authorized for transmitting classified information.
Serious Risk to Forces
The internal investigation found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the safety of US service members if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.
However, the report also noted that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he actually exercised that authority.
Hegseth's Response
The source indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a short written response.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed details that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the mission. He added that he possessed the authority to declassify material and viewed the inspector general to be partisan.
Next Steps
The finalized investigation has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be made public in the coming days.
