A long-awaited Department of Defense report has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth breached official protocols by sharing secret information in a Signal messaging chat, according to a source familiar with the report.
Particulars of the Event
The chat group in dispute contained details about a scheduled air attack in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat was revealed after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a participant.
Other individuals in the chat allegedly 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 officials are not employed 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 circulated by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the safety of US troops if it had been intercepted by a foreign enemy force.
Notably, the document acknowledged that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the information he shared, though it was not specified whether he formally exercised that authority.
Secretary's Reaction
The source indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.
In his response, Hegseth claimed he only shared details that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized the mission. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and considered the inspector general to be partisan.
Future Actions
The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be released in the coming days.
