Defense Department Investigation Concludes Defense Secretary Placed Troops in Danger with Messaging App Chat.
A long-awaited Pentagon review has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing classified intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, according to a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Event
The online conversation in dispute included details about a planned airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi militants. This discussion came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other officials in the group reportedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the actions of Hegseth, as the other participants do not work at the Pentagon.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not approved for transmitting sensitive material.
Serious Risk to Troops
The internal investigation determined that the information circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the lives of US troops if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the material he shared, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.
Secretary's Response
The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he provided a short written response.
In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only shared details that would not have risked lives or compromised the mission. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and considered the investigation to be partisan.
Next Steps
The finalized investigation has been shared with lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be made public in the coming days.