A highly anticipated Pentagon report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing secret information in a private Signal group, as stated by a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The online conversation in dispute contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi militants. This discussion was revealed after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other individuals in the group allegedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The investigation 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 authorized for handling sensitive material.
Potential Risk to Troops
The inspector general's report determined that the information circulated by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US troops if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
However, the document acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the material he distributed, though it was not specified whether he formally did so.
Secretary's Reaction
The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only shared details that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized 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 shared with Congress. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be released later this week.
