Defense Department Report Finds Hegseth Placed Troops in Danger with Signal Chat.
A highly anticipated Pentagon report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by disclosing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, according to a person briefed on the findings.
Details of the Event
The chat group in question contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi militants. This chat came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a member.
Other individuals in the group allegedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report focused solely on the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials do not work at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not authorized for transmitting sensitive material.
Serious Risk to Forces
The internal investigation determined that the information shared by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the safety of US troops if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the information he shared, though it was unclear whether he formally did so.
Secretary's Response
The source indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth claimed he only shared details that would not have risked lives or compromised the operation. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and considered the inspector general to be politically motivated.
Next Steps
The finalized investigation has been provided to Congress. An unclassified version is expected to be made public in the coming days.
