- Pete Hegseth discusses the airstrikes from March 15.
- Shared information through a chat group he created.
- The chat group includes his wife and around a dozen other people.
WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has recently communicated details about upcoming airstrikes in Yemen via a private Signal chat group that comprised his wife, brother, and personal attorney, according to a report by The New York Times.
AFP could not independently corroborate the claims made by the Times, which noted that this is the second accusation against Hegseth for sharing sensitive military details with unauthorized individuals through the messaging app.
Last month, The Atlantic revealed that its editor-in-chief was unintentionally added to a Signal chat where Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz were discussing the strikes conducted on March 15.
This incident caused significant controversy, drawing attention to a scandal within President Donald Trump’s administration regarding the unintentional disclosure of classified information. Investigations by the Pentagon Inspector General into this leak are currently ongoing.
On Sunday, The Times reported that Hegseth had shared similar information on the March 15 strikes in another Signal group chat.
According to the report, the shared details included “flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets targeting Houthi positions in Yemen.” Unlike the accidental leak that involved journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, this group chat was initiated by Hegseth himself, while the previous one was created by Waltz.
The group chat, established in January prior to Hegseth’s confirmation as defense secretary, contained around a dozen individuals, including his wife Jennifer, who is a journalist and former producer for Fox News, as well as his brothers Phil and Tim Parlatore, both active within the Pentagon. Tim Parlatore also serves as Hegseth’s personal attorney, as noted by the Times.
The Pentagon did not respond immediately to an AFP request for comments.
“Slander and Unfounded Allegations”
Trump has largely attributed the blame for the earlier leak to Waltz but has dismissed the notion of firing senior officials, instead defending what he considers the success of the operations against Yemeni rebels.
This week, three high-ranking officials from the Pentagon were placed on leave while investigations continue into unspecified leaks within the Defense Department.
Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick, Senior Adviser Dan Caldwell, and Colin Carroll released a statement on Sunday, claiming that Pentagon officials had “defamed our character with baseless allegations.”
“At this point, we still have not been informed of the specific reasons for this investigation, whether it remains active, or if a legitimate investigation regarding ‘leaks’ ever existed,” they expressed in a joint statement shared on social media. “Despite this troubling experience, we remain committed to supporting the mission of the Trump-Vance administration to restore the Pentagon’s integrity and ensure strength through peace.”
