Pentagon Report Finds Defense Secretary Put Military Personnel in Jeopardy with Signal Conversation.
A highly anticipated Pentagon review has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing secret information in a Signal messaging chat, according to a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Event
The online conversation in dispute contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other individuals 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 participants are not employed at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not authorized for handling classified information.
Serious Risk to Forces
The internal investigation found that the information circulated by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US troops if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
Notably, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the material he shared, though it was not specified whether he formally did so.
Secretary's Reaction
The source indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only shared information that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the mission. He further stated that he had the right to downgrade information and viewed the investigation to be partisan.
Future Actions
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is anticipated to be made public later this week.
