🔗 Share this article Defense Department Investigation Finds Hegseth Put Military Personnel in Danger with Messaging App Chat. A highly anticipated Pentagon report has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated official protocols by disclosing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, as stated by a person briefed on the findings. Details of the Event The chat group in question contained particulars about a planned airstrike in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This discussion was revealed after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a member. Other individuals in the group reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the actions of Hegseth, as the other participants are not employed at the Pentagon. Signal is a publicly available messaging app that was not approved for transmitting classified information. Serious Risk to Troops The internal investigation determined that the information shared by Hegseth was classified and could have endangered the lives of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation. Notably, the report acknowledged that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the information he shared, though it was not specified whether he actually exercised that authority. Secretary's Reaction The informed individual indicated that Hegseth refused to be interviewed by the investigators. Instead, he provided a brief written statement. In his response, Hegseth claimed he only disclosed information that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the mission. He added that he had the right to declassify material and considered the investigation to be partisan. Next Steps The completed report has been shared with Congress. An unclassified version is anticipated to be released in the coming days.