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A long-awaited Department of Defense review has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, according to a person briefed on the findings.

Particulars of the Incident

The chat group in dispute included particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This discussion came to light after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a participant.

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 actions of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Pentagon.

Signal is a publicly available messaging app that was not approved for transmitting sensitive material.

Potential Threat to Troops

The internal investigation determined that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation.

However, the document also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the material he distributed, though it was not specified whether he actually did so.

Hegseth's Response

The informed individual said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a short written response.

In his response, Hegseth asserted he only shared details that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the operation. He further stated that he possessed the authority to downgrade information and considered 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 later this week.