A long-awaited Department of Defense report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing secret intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, according to a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The chat group in question contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This discussion was revealed 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 conduct of Hegseth, as the other participants are not employed at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not approved for handling classified information.
Potential Threat to Troops
The internal investigation found that the intelligence shared by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to the lives of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.
However, the document also noted that Hegseth had the ability to downgrade the material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally did so.
Hegseth's Reaction
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a short written response.
In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed details that would not have risked lives or jeopardized the operation. He added that he had the right to downgrade information and considered the investigation to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is anticipated to be made public later this week.
