Pentagon Investigation Finds Defense Secretary Put Military Personnel in Jeopardy with Signal Conversation.

A highly anticipated Department of Defense report has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing secret information in a Signal messaging chat, as stated by a source familiar with the report.

Particulars of the Incident

The online conversation in question contained particulars about a planned airstrike in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat came to light 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 did not examine the actions 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.

Serious Risk to Troops

The inspector general's report determined that the information shared by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to the safety of US troops if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force.

Notably, the report also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the information he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.

Hegseth's Reaction

The informed individual indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement.

In his response, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed details that would not have risked lives or compromised the operation. He added that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the inspector general to be politically motivated.

Next Steps

The finalized investigation has been provided to lawmakers. An unclassified version is expected to be made public in the coming days.