A long-awaited Department of Defense report has concluded that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, as stated by a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The online conversation in question contained details about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This discussion came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a member.
Other individuals in the group allegedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials do not work at the Pentagon.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not approved for handling classified information.
Potential Risk to Forces
The internal investigation found that the information shared by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the safety of US service members if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the information he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally did so.
Secretary's Response
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he provided a short written response.
In his response, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed details that would not have risked lives or compromised the operation. He added that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The completed report has been shared with lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be made public in the coming days.
