A highly anticipated Pentagon report has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified information in a private Signal group, as stated by a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Event
The online conversation in question contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This discussion was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other officials in the group allegedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the conduct of Hegseth, as the other participants are not employed at the Pentagon.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not approved for handling sensitive material.
Potential Risk to Troops
The inspector general's report found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to the lives of US service members if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
However, the report acknowledged that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the material he shared, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.
Secretary's Response
The source indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a short written response.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed details that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the operation. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be made public later this week.
