Defense Department Investigation Finds Defense Secretary Put Military Personnel in Danger with Signal Conversation.

A long-awaited Pentagon review has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, according to a source familiar with the report.

Details of the Incident

The online conversation in question contained details about a planned airstrike in Yemen targeting Houthi fighters. This chat came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was added as a member.

Other officials in the chat allegedly 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 officials are not employed at the Department of Defense.

Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not approved for transmitting classified information.

Potential Risk to Forces

The inspector general's report found that the information circulated by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the safety of US service members if it had been intercepted by a foreign enemy force.

Notably, the document acknowledged that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the information he shared, though it was unclear whether he formally exercised that authority.

Hegseth's Reaction

The source indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he provided a brief written statement.

In his response, Hegseth asserted he only disclosed information that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized the operation. He further stated that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the inspector general to be partisan.

Next Steps

The completed report has been provided to lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be made public in the coming days.