Hegseth communicated with his kin about Yemen attacks, as per reports from sources, via 2nd Signal chat.
Unfiltered Details: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Second Signal Chat
In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed sensitive details about an impending attack on the Houthis in Yemen to a group that included his wife, his brother, and his personal lawyer. This revelation was shared via a second group chat on the messaging app Signal.
The specifics unveiled in this second chat included the flight schedules for the participating F/A-18 Hornets set to attack Houthi positions, as reported by two sources familiar with the chats' content. Initial reports of Hegseth's sharing of these details were made by The New York Times.
This revelation occurred at roughly the same time in mid-March when essential members of President Donald Trump's National Security Council, including Hegseth, inadvertently disclosed details about the March 15 missile strike in Yemen to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
Much of the same content was circulated in the second encrypted chat among family members and others, which Hegseth had created on his personal phone during his confirmation process.
Hegseth's wife, Jennifer Hegseth, who is not employed by the Defense Department, and his brother, Phil Hegseth, who works as a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, are part of this group. Additionally, Tim Parlatore, Hegseth's personal attorney, works at the Pentagon as a Navy reservist assigned to Hegseth's office.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, addressed reports of the second chat in a statement on X on Sunday, saying in part, "The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump's agenda." The statement also emphasized that no classified information had been shared over any Signal chat, despite multiple ways attempts to frame the story. However, the Office of the Secretary of Defense is being scrutinized for becoming more efficient in executing President Trump's agenda.
Background Info:
- An ongoing investigation by the Pentagon's inspector general is assessing Hegseth's use of the Signal app to determine compliance with Defense Department policies and procedures for conducting official business.
- The probe follows claims that sensitive military operations may complicate investigations into potential leaks involving the first known group chat, which included top aides and other members of Pete Hegseth's team.
- Three officials from this initial chat thread have since been dismissed in connection to the inquiry, causing turbulence within the Department of Defense.
- The sharing of such information may have put troops overseas at risk, as argued by several former U.S. officials.
- John Ullyot, the Pentagon's former top spokesman, recently published an opinion piece in Politico, discussing a month of chaos at the Pentagon. Ullyot claimed that Hegseth's leadership has led to a strange and baffling purge, leaving him without his key advisors and chiefs of staff. Eschewing investigations, Hegseth continues to maintain that no classified information was shared in any Signal chat.
- The ongoing investigation by the Pentagon's inspector general is examining Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal app to ensure compliance with Defense Department policies and procedures, particularly in relation to politics and policy-and-legislation.
- The New York Times reported that Hegseth shared sensitive details about an impending attack on the Houthis in Yemen via a second group chat on the messaging app Signal, which included his wife, his brother, his personal lawyer, and other family members and associates.
- Business insider John Ullyot, the Pentagon's former top spokesman, shared his opinion in an opinion piece in Politico that Hegseth's leadership has led to a strange and baffling purge, leaving him without his key advisors and chiefs of staff, raising concerns about war-and-conflicts and general news within the Department of Defense.
