A highly anticipated Department of Defense review has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing secret information in a Signal messaging chat, as stated by a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Incident
The online conversation in question included details about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other officials in the group allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the actions of Hegseth, as the other participants are not employed at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a publicly available messaging app that was not approved for handling classified information.
Potential Risk to Troops
The internal investigation determined that the intelligence shared by Hegseth was secret and could have endangered the safety of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
Notably, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the material he distributed, though it was not specified whether he formally did so.
Secretary's Response
The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a short written response.
In his response, Hegseth asserted he only shared details 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.
Next Steps
The finalized investigation has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be made public later this week.
