🔗 Share this article Defense Department Investigation Finds Hegseth Put Troops in Jeopardy with Signal Conversation. A highly anticipated Department of Defense report has concluded that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth breached departmental policies by sharing classified intelligence in a Signal messaging chat, as stated by a person briefed on the findings. Details of the Incident The online conversation in dispute contained details about a planned air attack in Yemen against Houthi militants. This chat came to light after a journalist for the Atlantic was included as a member. Other officials in the chat allegedly included Senator JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the actions of Hegseth, as the other officials do not work at the Pentagon. Signal is a commercially offered communication application that was not approved for handling sensitive material. Serious Risk to Troops The inspector general's report determined that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was classified and posed a risk to the safety of US troops if it had been intercepted by a foreign enemy force. However, the report also noted that Hegseth had the ability to declassify the material he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally did so. Hegseth's Response The source said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he submitted a brief written statement. In his response, Hegseth asserted he only shared information that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized the mission. He added that he possessed the authority to downgrade information and viewed the inspector general to be politically motivated. Future Actions The finalized investigation has been shared with lawmakers. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be released in the coming days.