A long-awaited Pentagon report has concluded that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing secret information in a Signal messaging chat, according to a source familiar with the report.
Details of the Incident
The online conversation in dispute included particulars about a scheduled airstrike in Yemen against Houthi militants. This discussion was revealed after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a member.
Other officials in the group reportedly included Senator 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 do not work at the Department of Defense.
Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not authorized for handling classified information.
Serious Risk to Forces
The inspector general's report determined that the information shared by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the safety of US service members if it had been obtained by a hostile nation.
Notably, the report also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.
Secretary's Reaction
The informed individual indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a short written response.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only shared information that would not have risked lives 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 provided to lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is anticipated to be made public later this week.