Pentagon Watchdog Faults Hegseth for Signal Use, Stops Short of Leak Claim:

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth broke Department of Defense rules by using the messaging app Signal to share sensitive information about a military operation. According to media reports released on Wednesday, the inspector general’s full report is expected to be published on Thursday. Anonymous officials who have seen the document told news outlets, including The Associated Press, that Hegseth used his personal device to send information that should not have been shared on a commercial app. The report centers on a controversy that first came to light in late March. The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, wrote an article describing how he unexpectedly became part of a Signal group chat that appeared to include some of the highest-ranking members of President Donald Trump’s administration. Goldberg said that on March 11, he received what looked like a Signal invitation from then–national security adviser Mike Waltz. Unsure if it was real or a prank, he accepted the invite. Two days later, he found himself in a conversation that seemed to involve Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Goldberg reported that in this chat, Hegseth shared details about a planned March 15 strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. These details included the exact timing of F-18 fighter jet launches, when drones would arrive, and when airstrikes would begin. Goldberg’s article sparked immediate criticism of the Trump administration and of both Waltz and Hegseth. Critics argued that sharing such information on a private app like Signal could have put US military personnel in danger. They warned that if foreign intelligence agencies had somehow gained access to the chat, they might have used the information to disrupt the mission or target American troops. The inspector general’s report released this week recommends better training for officials to prevent future security breaches. However, it does not take a position on whether the information Hegseth shared was officially classified at the time. Instead, it notes that the secretary of defense has the authority to determine or change classification levels. This means Hegseth could have chosen to declassify the material. Sean Parnell, spokesperson for Hegseth, celebrated that point, calling the report a “total exoneration.” He said it confirms that “no classified information was shared.” He also criticized news outlets for suggesting the messages put troops at risk, saying there was “zero evidence” of that. Parnell pointed to the successful execution of the Yemen operation, known as Operation Rough Rider, as proof that no forces were endangered. President Trump has also dismissed the controversy, calling it a “witch-hunt.” He even suggested that Signal itself might be “defective.” Administration officials have repeatedly urged the public to move on, insisting the matter is “case closed.” But critics, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, called the incident one of the most serious intelligence breaches in recent years. Some lawmakers warned that Signal messages could have been intercepted. Others argued that using apps with disappearing messages violates federal transparency rules that require secure record-keeping. Following public pressure, acting Pentagon inspector general Steven Stebbins opened a formal investigation on April 3. He said the review would examine whether Hegseth and other officials followed rules involving communication, classification, and record retention. The controversy comes after Trump removed more than a dozen inspectors general earlier in his second term, including Stebbins’s predecessor, Robert Storch.

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