A highly anticipated Department of Defense review has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached departmental policies by disclosing classified intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, according to a person briefed on the findings.
Particulars of the Event
The online conversation in dispute included details about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi militants. This chat came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a member.
Other individuals in the chat reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not approved for transmitting classified information.
Serious Threat to Troops
The inspector general's report found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to the safety of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
However, the report also noted that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the information he shared, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.
Secretary's Response
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed details that would not have risked lives or compromised the operation. He further stated that he possessed the authority to declassify material and considered the investigation to be partisan.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been shared with Congress. An unclassified version is expected to be made public later this week.
