A Pentagon inspector general review found Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked the safety of U.S. servicemembers by discussing sensitive military information over the encrypted messaging app Signal, according to a summary of the forthcoming report provided to NPR.
The inquiry was opened after an Atlantic reporter revealed in March that he had been added to a Signal group where Hegseth and other senior officials discussed plans for U.S. airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The inspector general’s summary says that, had a foreign adversary intercepted the intelligence discussed in the chat, both personnel and the mission could have been endangered.
The investigation, led by Pentagon Inspector General Steven Stebbins, concluded Hegseth shared details about targets, timing and aircraft in two Signal groups, including conversations that also involved his wife and his brother. The report found those messages violated Pentagon rules prohibiting the use of personal phones for official business.
Hegseth declined an in-person interview with investigators and submitted a written response. In that reply he asserted he had the authority as secretary of defense to declassify information. The inspector general acknowledged the secretary’s declassification authority but did not determine whether the messages were declassified at the time they were shared. Hegseth told investigators he viewed the probe as political and said he had little faith in Stebbins.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called the review “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.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly said the review affirms that no classified information was leaked and that operational security was not compromised.
The investigation, launched in April, followed a request from Senate Armed Services Committee leaders Roger Wicker and Jack Reed. Because Hegseth provided only a limited number of his Signal messages, the inspector general relied largely on screenshots of the chat published by The Atlantic.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, said the report underscores that Hegseth should not have been using a personal cellphone and an unapproved app to share Department of Defense information, warning that adversaries could obtain and disseminate such material and put lives at risk.
The report arrives as Hegseth confronts additional scrutiny over the administration’s campaign targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea, including a Sept. 2 strike that raised questions about whether U.S. forces fired on survivors — an action military experts say could be a war crime if the administration’s justification is accepted.
Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon has been contentious. Critics point to his background as an Army National Guard veteran and former television host and argue he lacks the experience of prior defense secretaries. Since his confirmation, he has removed several senior officials, imposed new restrictions affecting transgender troops and veterans, and rebranded the agency as the “Department of War.” The White House has reiterated its confidence in him.
NPR disclosure: Katherine Maher, NPR CEO, chairs the board of the Signal Foundation. Gabriel Sanchez contributed reporting.