Breaking the Code: Pentagon Report Exposes Pete Hegseth’s Violation of Military Policies

The Pentagon’s Inspector General Report on Trump Administration Officials’ Use of Signal Group Chat

Months ago, a group of Trump administration officials set up a Signal group chat to discuss classified military intelligence ahead of a military strike in Yemen. Inadvertently, they added a journalist to the chat, leading to a breach of DoD policies. The Pentagon’s inspector general, Steven Stebbins, conducted an eight-month-long investigation into the matter and found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated DoD policies by using a nonapproved messaging application to share nonpublic information.

The inspector general’s report highlighted the risk of potential compromise of sensitive DoD information due to Hegseth’s actions. However, the report only recommended a review of classification procedures and suggested corrective actions to ensure compliance with departmental requirements.

Hegseth, in response to the investigation, stated that he had shared nonspecific details about the strike but declined interview requests. The 84-page report, available in full here, revealed insights into the incident.

The investigation also highlighted the challenge of retrieving information due to the auto-delete function of the Signal chat. The journalist inadvertently added to the chat, Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic, provided crucial insights into the discussions.

The DoD’s partial disclosure of the Secretary’s communications on Signal revealed some messages, while others were auto-deleted. The reliance on The Atlantic’s transcript of the chat named “Houthi PC Small Group” was necessary for a comprehensive record.

In a tweet, Hegseth claimed the report showed no classified information, calling it a total exoneration. However, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona pointed out that the report highlighted violations of DOD regulations, raising questions about potential legal implications.