Pentagon watchdog investigators have concluded that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put American troops at risk when he shared sensitive military operational details through an encrypted messaging app earlier this year. The findings, contained in an inspector general's report sent to Congress, could intensify scrutiny of the former Fox News host's handling of classified information just months into his tenure atop the Defence Department.
The report determined Hegseth violated department policies by using his personal device to transmit sensitive U.S. military information about operations in Yemen to other senior Trump administration officials — and inadvertently to a journalist — through a private Signal group chat. Two sources familiar with the investigation's findings told CBS News the defence secretary's actions could have endangered service members deployed overseas.
Classified Email Contents Shared in Private Chat
Pentagon investigators confirmed that critical information Hegseth posted in the encrypted Signal group originated from a classified email marked 'SECRET//NOFORN'. The email came from Army Gen. Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, who at the time commanded U.S. Central Command, the primary combatant unit overseeing American military operations across the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia.
The 'SECRET' designation indicates information whose unauthorised disclosure could cause serious damage to national security and jeopardise service members' safety, according to U.S. government classification standards. The 'NOFORN' label restricts dissemination exclusively to U.S. agencies and individuals, barring foreign nationals and even close American allies from accessing the material.
Foreign Adversaries Could Have Intercepted Sensitive Details
Sources familiar with the inspector general's investigation said the report concluded that if a foreign adversary had intercepted the information, it would have clearly endangered U.S. service members and compromised the mission. The classified version of the report was delivered to Congress on Tuesday, whilst an unredacted version is expected for release on Thursday.
The report does not address whether Hegseth declassified the information before posting it in the Signal chat group, which included other top Trump officials. The group chat also inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who broke the story in March.
Similar Intelligence Deemed Too Sensitive for Release
One day after The Atlantic published the Signal chat story, U.S. Africa Command conducted multiple airstrikes against Islamic State affiliates in Somalia. The operation, coordinated with the Somali government, occurred near the Golis Mountains and killed multiple ISIS-Somalia operatives, according to a military press release.
After several Trump administration officials claimed the Signal chat information was unclassified, CBS News filed a Freedom of Information Act request in March to the U.S. Africa Command. The news organisation sought similar details about the Somalia airstrike that intelligence officials had characterised as unclassified regarding the Yemen operation.
BREAKING: A Pentagon review finds Pete Hegseth's Signal chat violated regulations and could've endangered troops, sources say. https://t.co/h7j6OGxPKh pic.twitter.com/s1H3Dqz5l4
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 3, 2025
Military Commander Cites National Security Concerns
In early September, U.S. Africa Command responded with a determination that mirrored the Pentagon inspector general's conclusion about the Somalia airstrike. Marine Maj. Gen. Matthew Trollinger, chief of staff to Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, wrote that releasing the requested material would harm national security.
'[The] information that is currently and properly classified pursuant to Executive Order 13526...In this case, I have determined that the release of the documents would foreseeably harm national security', Trollinger stated in his letter to CBS News.
Defence Secretary Jokes About Messaging Scandal
Hegseth has not publicly commented on the inspector general's report. Last month, however, the defence secretary made light of the Signal controversy whilst speaking at Fox Nation's Patriot Awards after spotting United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz in the audience.
'I see Mike Waltz — Mike, I'll hit you up on Signal later', Hegseth quipped.
The inspector general's findings arrive as Hegseth faces mounting questions about his handling of sensitive information and adherence to established security protocols at the Pentagon. The report's release to Congress marks a significant development in an investigation that has shadowed his tenure since the Signal chat details first emerged in spring.
