A long-awaited Pentagon report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing secret intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, according to a source familiar with the report.
Details of the Event
The online conversation in question included particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was included as a participant.
Other individuals in the group reportedly 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 are not employed at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not authorized for transmitting classified information.
Potential Threat to Troops
The inspector general's report determined that the information circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the lives of US troops if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the information he shared, though it was unclear whether he actually exercised that authority.
Secretary's Reaction
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed details that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the mission. He added that he possessed the authority to declassify material and viewed the investigation to be partisan.
Future Actions
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be made public later this week.
