National Defense

DOD Inspector General Launches Probe Into Hegseth Over Use Of Signal

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The Department of Defense Office Of Inspector General (OIG) said Thursday that it is launching an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s involvement in a leaked Signal group chat discussing strikes against Houthi Rebels in Yemen.

The OIG said the office was complying with a request from the Senate Armed Services Committee to determine whether or not Hegseth complied with DOD guidelines for using the “commercial messaging application for official business,” according to the OIG memo published Thursday. Hegseth was an active member of the “Houthi PC Small Group” chat, which leaked to the public after National Security Advisor Mike Waltz inadvertently added Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffery Goldberg to the group.

“Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements,” the memo reads. “We may revise the objective as the evaluation proceeds.”

Goldberg initially broke the story on March 24, which detailed how he was mistakenly added to the signal chat by Waltz, and included screenshots of the text chain. Among the other Trump administration officials in the chat include Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance.

The White House said that no “war plans” were discussed in the text chain, which prompted Goldberg to publish a follow-up article on March 26 which included previously-withheld information on plan details. The officials discussed plans to bomb the Houthis, with Hegseth in particular detailing a timeline on strikes that were to take place.

The timing discussed in the chat allegedly coincided with the strike’s order during the operation, according to Goldberg.

So, let’s me get this straight. The Atlantic released the so-called “war plans” and those “plans” include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information.

Those are some really shitty war plans.

This only proves…

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 26, 2025

The fallout from the incident allegedly led some administration officials to call for Waltz’s dismissal, however Trump stood by the national security advisor when asked about the incident March 25, saying he was a “good man” and that he “learned his lesson.”

Waltz also denied ever having Goldberg’s number in a Fox News interview March 25.

Additionally, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, nominated by former President Barack Obama, directed the Trump administration to preserve records of the text chain.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information.