The Pentagon’s official watchdog revealed Thursday that it is conducting an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s role in Signalgate.
Hegseth had sent detailed attack plans to a Signal group chat of top Trump administration officials on March 15 that inadvertently included Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who later published the messages.
“The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business,” Pentagon Inspector General Steven Stebbins said in a Thursday memo.
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Late last month, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-RI) had called on the Pentagon’s watchdog to conduct an investigation into the Signalgate debacle last month.
Hegseth has denied sending “war plans” to the leaked Signal chat, but his message included a timeline of when specific weapons would be used against the Houthis.
Top Trump administration spy bosses including director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA director John Ratcliffe have said that Hegseth would’ve been the one to determine whether or not the material he shared in the leaked Signal chat was classified.
Here is the latest on the Yemen Signal group-chat:
- ‘I’m floored’: Experts reveal ‘really scary’ info shared by Trump officials in Signal group chat
- House Dems hint at perjury rap for intel chiefs over Signal chat leak: ‘A lie to the country’
- Steve Witkoff did not use Signal while in Russia, White House says
- Atlantic publishes more ‘war plan’ Signal texts, including minute-by-minute details and weapons to use in Yemen strikes
- Atlantic editor Jeff Goldberg weighs ‘obligation’ of releasing more ‘war plans’ texts – as he reveals undercover CIA agent’s identity was exposed
- Trump feels ‘very comfortable’ after being briefed on Houthi attack text scandal, blames ‘lower level’ Waltz staffer for mishap
- Trump national security team messaged plans for Yemen strikes to Atlantic editor-in-chief in stunning breach
Additionally, Hegseth’s spokesperson Sean Parnell has claimed that no classified information was shared in the leaked chat.
“These additional Signal chat messages confirm there were no classified materials or war plans shared,” Parnell said after the messages in question were published. “The Secretary was merely updating the group on a plan that was underway and had already been briefed through official channels.”
“The American people see through the Atlantic’s pathetic attempts to distract from President Trump’s national security agenda.”
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In their request for a watchdog probe, Wicker and Reed argued that media reports of the Signalgate fiasco raised questions about the “use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance.”
Breaking down the military terms used in Signal group chat
- “Trigger Based” = Sensors used to confirm ID of target
- “Strike Drones on Target” = Drones bomb target
- “Sea-based Tomahawks” = Cruise missiles fired from at least one submarine
- “OPSEC” = Operational security
- “Positive ID” = Terrorist’s ID confirmed
- BDA = Battle damage assessment after strike
National security adviser Mike Waltz had formed the encrypted Signal group chat in order to coordinate plans among 17 top Trump administration brass, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Screenshots indicate that Waltz inadvertently added Goldberg to the message group. Waltz has bizarrely suggested he was in a situation where “somebody else’s number” got sucked into into his phone and he was trying to reach a different person, possibly US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who has the same initials.
Goldberg has disputed Waltz’ denials about knowing him, remarking to NBC’s “Meet the Press” about how Waltz told “everyone that he’s never met me or spoken to me – that’s simply not true.”
President Trump has stood by both Waltz and Hegseth amid the firestorm over the leaked Signal chat. Allies of Trump have underscored that the strikes against the Houthis were carried out successfully despite Signalgate.
Still, critics have argued that the Trump administration officials should’ve used secure government channels to discuss sensitive information such as plans to strike the Houthis.
Ratcliffe, who was on the leaked chat, said that the CIA briefed him on Signal and encouraged its use.
