A highly anticipated Department of Defense report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, as stated by a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Incident
The chat group in question contained particulars about a planned air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other individuals in the group reportedly included Senator 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 commercially offered messaging app that was not authorized for handling sensitive material.
Serious Threat to Troops
The internal investigation determined that the information shared by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US service members if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.
However, the report also noted that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the information he shared, though it was not specified whether he actually did so.
Hegseth's Reaction
The source said that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only shared details that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the mission. He further stated that he possessed the authority to declassify material and viewed the inspector general to be politically motivated.
Future Actions
The finalized investigation has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is anticipated to be released in the coming days.
