🔗 Share this article

A highly anticipated Pentagon review has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, as stated by a source familiar with the report.

Particulars of the Incident

The online conversation in dispute included particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was included as a member.

Other individuals in the group allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The investigation did not examine the actions of Hegseth, as the other participants do not work at the Pentagon.

Signal is a publicly available communication application that was not authorized for transmitting classified information.

Serious Threat to Troops

The internal investigation determined that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the safety of US troops if it had been intercepted by a foreign enemy force.

Notably, the document acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the information he distributed, though it was not specified whether he formally did so.

Secretary's Response

The informed individual said that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a short written response.

In his response, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed information that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the mission. He added that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the inspector general to be partisan.

Next Steps

The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be made public later this week.