WASHINGTON — A Pentagon watchdog has found that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked exposing classified information when he shared details of a planned U.S. strike in Yemen via the Signal messaging app, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
The Pentagon inspector general determined that the information Hegseth relayed came from a U.S. Central Command planning document marked Secret/NOFORN, meaning it was barred from release to any foreign national, the reports said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The watchdog concluded that sharing operational details on a commercial platform could have endangered U.S. forces preparing for the strike, according to the sources.
An inspector general report stated that Hegseth should not have used Signal and recommended better protocol training for senior Defense Department officials, the sources said.
“The Inspector General review is 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,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters.
A CNN report said Hegseth retains his original classification authority, allowing him to unilaterally declassify information.
Hegseth reportedly shared details of forthcoming strikes on March 15, including flight schedules of F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen, in a private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
That same day, he also messaged another Signal group — one that included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg — about impending strikes on Yemen scheduled within two hours, according to a March 24 article by Goldberg.
Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer, is not a Defense Department employee. His brother Phil Hegseth and personal lawyer Tim Parlatore both work for the Pentagon, according to The New York Times.
Hegseth’s use of Signal to discuss sensitive military information drew criticism and triggered a Pentagon probe.
CNN reported that a classified version of the inspector general report was sent to Congress on Tuesday night, and an unclassified version is expected to be publicly released Thursday. / XINHUA