A highly anticipated Department of Defense report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified information in a private Signal group, according to a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The online conversation in dispute included details about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other individuals in the group allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The investigation focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other participants do not work at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a publicly available messaging app that was not authorized for transmitting classified information.
Potential Threat to Forces
The internal investigation found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and could have endangered the lives of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
However, the report acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the material he shared, though it was not specified whether he formally exercised that authority.
Hegseth's Response
The informed individual said that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a short written response.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only shared information that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the operation. He added that he possessed the authority to declassify material and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The completed report has been shared with lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be released later this week.
