A highly anticipated Department of Defense review has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by sharing secret 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 air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other individuals in the group reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The investigation focused solely on the actions of Hegseth, as the other officials do not work at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not approved for transmitting classified information.
Potential Risk to Forces
The inspector general's report found that the information circulated by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to 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 material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he actually exercised that authority.
Hegseth's Response
The source indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth asserted he only shared information that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the operation. He further stated that he possessed the authority to declassify material and considered the inspector general to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The completed report has been shared with Congress. An publicly releasable copy is anticipated to be released in the coming days.
