A highly anticipated Pentagon review has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by disclosing secret intelligence in a private Signal group, as stated by a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Event
The online conversation in dispute included particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This discussion came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other individuals in the chat reportedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the actions of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Pentagon.
Signal is a publicly available communication application that was not approved for transmitting sensitive material.
Serious Threat to Forces
The internal investigation found that the intelligence shared by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the safety of US service members if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
However, the report also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the information he shared, though it was not specified whether he formally did so.
Hegseth's Reaction
The source indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed details that would not have risked lives or compromised the mission. He added that he possessed the authority to declassify material and considered the investigation to be partisan.
Next Steps
The finalized investigation has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be released later this week.
