Chicago – December 04, 2025
A forthcoming report from the Pentagon’s inspector general concludes that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. servicemembers at risk by sharing sensitive operational details through the Signal messaging app, according to a source familiar with the findings.
The investigation began after a journalist from The Atlantic reported in March that he had been added to a Signal chat where Hegseth and senior defense officials were discussing planned U.S. airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen. Inspector General Steven Stebbins led the inquiry, examining whether Hegseth violated Pentagon rules governing the use of personal mobile devices for official communications.
According to the report, Hegseth shared information on targets, timing, and aircraft within two private Signal groups one of which included his wife and brother. Investigators said this breached Pentagon policies prohibiting the dissemination of sensitive military data via personal phones. Hegseth declined to participate in a live interview and instead submitted only a written statement.
In his response, Hegseth argued that he possessed the authority to declassify information and suggested that the probe was politically motivated. While the inspector general did not reach a conclusion on whether the information had been formally declassified before being shared, the report acknowledged that Hegseth, as defense secretary, had the power to declassify material.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement characterizing the findings as a full vindication of Hegseth, asserting that “no classified information was shared” and that the matter was now closed. Similarly, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration, stating that the review confirmed that operational security had not been compromised.
