"Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Accused Again: Allegations of Another Security Lapse"
Pete Hegseth Raises Eyebrows Again
It seems Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth can't seem to shake off the hot water he's found himself in. Fresh reports have emerged, revealing his alleged involvement in another confidential conversation about Yemen strikes on Signal, a less secure messaging app, on April 20th. The New York Times and CNN broke the news. According to four sources acquainted with the conversation, Hegseth shared precise flight times of aircraft destined to strike Houthi rebel targets in Yemen — remarkably similar to the information he had earlier shared in another Signal group[1].
The NYT reports that the group consisted of Hegseth, his wife (a former Fox News employee and journalist), his brother (a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security detailed to the Department of Defense), and his personal attorney, who is also a Navy reservist assigned to his office[1][2].
In addition to his wife, Hegseth's brother and attorney are employed by the Pentagon[1]. It's unclear why either of them would require knowledge of imminent strikes in Yemen. Pentagon officials had earlier cautioned Hegseth against discussing sensitive strike information on Signal[1].
In response to these reports, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell accused the New York Times of being a "Trump-hating media". Hegseth's former Pentagon spokesman, John Ullyot, published a scathing opinion piece describing "a month of total chaos" at the Pentagon[2]. Whether the Defense Secretary will continue in his role is currently uncertain. Trump has voiced his support for Hegseth[2].
The Democratic opposition swiftly reacted to the news. Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked the Pentagon's Inspector General to investigate these allegations[3]. If confirmed, these incidents could be seen as another example of Hegseth's disregard for the protocols and laws followed by other military members[3].
This latest controversy comes after the first "Signalgate" involving President Trump and a conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic. The White House defended the ministers involved, while three high-ranking Pentagon officials were fired last week due to unspecified leaks[4].
Update at 5:10 PM with the White House reaction.
Sources:[1] The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/30/us/politics/pete-hegseth-yemen-chat.html[2] CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/30/politics/pete-hegseth-yemen-chat/index.html[3] NBC News - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/democratic-senator-jack-reed-calls-probe-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-n1381001[4] Axios - https://www.axios.com/2023/03/10/pentagon-kf-panel-secretary-leak
- The Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been involved in another controversial incident, this time related to a confidential conversation about Yemen strikes involving a less secure messaging app.
- Hegseth's alleged conversation, which happened on April 20th, was reported by The New York Times and CNN, and included his wife, a former journalist, his brother, a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security detailed to the Department of Defense, and his personal attorney, who is also a Navy reservist assigned to his office.
- The Pentagon has been criticized for its handling of the situation, with Pentagon officials earlier cautioning Hegseth against discussing sensitive strike information on Signal.
- The Democratic opposition, led by Senator Jack Reed, has called for an investigation into these allegations, viewing them as another example of Hegseth's disregard for protocols and laws followed by other military members.
- This latest controversy comes after the first "Signalgate" involving President Trump and a conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, highlighting a pattern of questionable behavior in the realm of war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and politics among high-ranking officials.
