A long-awaited Department of Defense review has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing secret intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, as stated by a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Incident
The online conversation in dispute included particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other officials in the chat reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the actions of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not approved for handling sensitive material.
Serious Risk to Forces
The inspector general's report found that the information circulated by Hegseth was secret and could have endangered the safety of US troops if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.
However, the document acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the material he shared, though it was unclear whether he formally did so.
Hegseth's Response
The informed individual said that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed details that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized 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 shared with lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be made public in the coming days.
