A long-awaited Department of Defense report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by sharing secret intelligence in a private Signal group, according to a source familiar with the report.
Details of the Incident
The online conversation in question contained 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 officials in the group reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The investigation focused solely on the actions of Hegseth, as the other officials do not work at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a publicly available communication application that was not approved for handling classified information.
Serious Risk to Forces
The internal investigation determined that the information shared by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to the safety of US service members if it had been intercepted by a foreign enemy force.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he actually did so.
Hegseth's Response
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a short written response.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only shared information that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the mission. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and considered the inspector general to be partisan.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been shared with lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be made public in the coming days.
