🔗 Share this article Defense Department Report Finds Hegseth 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 intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, as stated by a person briefed on the findings. Particulars of the Incident The chat group in dispute contained particulars about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi fighters. This chat came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was added as a participant. Other officials in the group allegedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The investigation did not examine the conduct of Hegseth, as the other officials are not employed at the Pentagon. Signal is a commercially offered messaging app that was not authorized for transmitting classified information. Potential Threat to Forces The inspector general's report found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the safety of US service members if it had been obtained by a foreign enemy force. Notably, the document acknowledged that Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify the material he shared, though it was unclear whether he actually did so. Hegseth's Reaction The source indicated that Hegseth declined an interview by the investigators. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement. In his statement, Hegseth asserted he only shared information that would not have endangered personnel or compromised the operation. He added that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the inspector general to be partisan. Future Actions The finalized investigation has been shared with lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is anticipated to be made public later this week.