A report by the Pentagon Inspector General has concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated agency policy by using the Signal messaging application on his personal device to discuss sensitive military plans. The 84-page report, released on Thursday, details findings that Hegseth's actions posed a potential risk to U.S. servicemembers and mission objectives.
Investigation Background
The investigation, led by Pentagon Inspector General Steven Stebbins, spanned several months. It was initiated following a report in March by a journalist from The Atlantic, who stated being included in an encrypted Signal group chat. This chat reportedly involved Secretary Hegseth and other high-ranking officials discussing plans related to U.S. airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Inspector General's Findings
The report determined that Secretary Hegseth transmitted nonpublic Department of Defense (DoD) information, including details on the quantity and strike times of manned U.S. aircraft over hostile territory, through Signal. These transmissions occurred approximately two to four hours prior to the execution of the strikes. The report also indicated that Hegseth shared information concerning targets, timing, and aircraft to two Signal groups, which reportedly included his wife and brother.
The Inspector General concluded that using a personal cell phone to conduct official business and transmit nonpublic DoD information via Signal violated Pentagon policies concerning personal mobile device use for government business. The report stated that had a foreign adversary intercepted the intelligence exchanged within the chat, it would have posed a risk to U.S. servicemembers and overall mission objectives.
Secretary Hegseth's Response
Secretary Hegseth declined to be interviewed by investigators, providing a written statement instead. In his statement, Hegseth asserted his authority to declassify information and contended that the information shared in the Signal chat did not require classification. The Inspector General's report did not determine whether the specific information had been declassified by the time it was shared but acknowledged that, as Secretary of Defense, Hegseth possessed the authority to declassify information.
Pentagon's Official Statement
Prior to the report's public release, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement regarding the Inspector General's findings. Parnell stated, "The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along — no classified information was shared. This matter is resolved, and the case is closed."