Watchdog: Hegseth’s Signal use put troops at risk

The Pentagon Inspector General’s report on the Signal scandal says Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth risked potential compromise of information that could harm military personnel and missions, according to four sources familiar with the findings.

The report, expected to be released to the public in redacted form on Thursday, details the findings of an investigation into Hegseth’s use of the encrypted Signal messaging app involving a group chat that included Cabinet officials and, inadvertently, a journalist from The Atlantic.

According to a source who read the report, which was shared with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, the acting Inspector General for the Department of Defense found Hegseth “violated policy by using a non-approved device,” contradicting the secretary’s claims that he did nothing wrong.

The source, who was granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the report, said the report concluded Hegseth shared classified information, failed to preserve records and put military operations and servicemembers at risk when he communicated in the Signal chat with 19 people.

Hegseth refused an interview request, per two sources who read or were briefed on the report. Hegseth would not turn over his phone for the inspector general’s investigation, according to the source who read the report, and “didn’t cooperate and handed over only a couple of screenshots,” according to the source who was briefed on the report.

Two sources who read the report told MS NOW said that Hegseth’s actions clearly put troops “at risk.” The Inspector General did not respond to a request for comment.

“The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along – no classified information was shared,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This matter is resolved, and the case is closed.”

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told MS NOW that the report “clearly made the case of why the Secretary of Defense should not be using his cell phone and unsecure app to share what you could argue was classified information.”

The Arizona senator said that the Defense secretary has the power to declassify information, but added that he did not find Hegseth’s claim that he did so before sending it on Signal credible.

“It just seems to me that he did it retroactively,” Kelly said, “because he put information out there to the world, including to the reporter of the Atlantic, that if that information would have gotten to the Houthis, would have put people’s lives at risk.”

In the Signal chat, titled “Houthi PC small group,” Hegseth shared plans for imminent strikes on Houthi targets across Yemen, including details about the weapons, targets and timing of the operation. 

The report comes as members of Congress vow to investigate Hegseth’s role in a Sept. 2nd U.S. drone attack in which two men who survived an initial missile strike were killed in a follow-up strike as they clung to wreckage, the Washington Post reported. Hegseth has denied ordering a second strike and said that Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who oversaw the operation, did so — a move Hegseth voiced his support for on Tuesday. Bradley is expected to speak with members of Congress on Thursday about the attack.

In March Senate Armed Services Committee leaders Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., requested an inquiry into the Signal group chat incident, including what was communicated, “any remedial actions” taken as a result and “an assessment of DOD classification and declassification policies and processes” and whether those were adhered to.

Kelly told MS NOW that he believed Hegseth should be fired for sending the information on Signal. 

“I think he should have gotten fired for it,” he said. “I still think he should get fired for that.”