🔗 Share this article Defense Department Report Concludes Hegseth Placed Troops in Danger with Messaging App Conversation. A highly anticipated Pentagon review has determined that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth violated departmental policies by disclosing classified intelligence in a private Signal group, according to a source familiar with the report. Details of the Incident The chat group in dispute contained details about a scheduled air attack in Yemen against Houthi militants. This chat was revealed after a reporter for the Atlantic was included as a member. Other officials in the chat reportedly included JD Vance, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and former security advisor Mike Waltz. The report did not examine the actions of Hegseth, as the other participants 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 internal investigation found that the intelligence circulated by Hegseth was secret and posed a risk to the lives of US service members if it had been intercepted by a hostile nation. Notably, the report also noted that Hegseth possessed the authority to downgrade the information he distributed, though it was unclear whether he formally did so. Hegseth's Reaction The informed individual said that Hegseth declined an interview by the inspector general. Instead, he provided a brief written statement. In his response, Hegseth asserted he only shared details that would not have endangered personnel or jeopardized the operation. He added that he had the right to declassify material and viewed the investigation to be partisan. Next Steps The finalized investigation has been shared with Congress. An publicly releasable copy is expected to be released in the coming days.