A highly anticipated Pentagon report has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by disclosing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, according to a person briefed on the findings.
Particulars of the Incident
The online conversation in question contained details about a scheduled air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This discussion came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was included as a member.
Other officials in the chat allegedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials do not work at the Pentagon.
Signal is a publicly available messaging app that was not approved for transmitting sensitive material.
Serious Risk to Forces
The inspector general's report determined that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
Notably, the document acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the information he distributed, though it was not specified whether he actually exercised that authority.
Secretary's Response
The informed individual said that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only shared information that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized the operation. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the investigation to be partisan.
Next Steps
The finalized investigation has been shared with Congress. An unclassified version is expected to be made public in the coming days.
