Senior Pentagon advisor loses position over leak of classified information
US Defense Secretary’s advisor Dan Caldwell (Photo: facebook.com/DonaldTrump4President)
A senior advisor to the US Secretary of Defense has become the focus of a controversial investigation involving the leak of sensitive information from the Pentagon, according to Reuters.
Dan Caldwell has been removed from his duties after being identified as part of an investigation into information leaks at the Department of Defense.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the agency that Caldwell was placed on administrative leave over the unauthorized disclosure of information. The investigation remains ongoing.
Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has found himself at the center of a growing controversy over leaked sensitive information from the Pentagon.
While not a high-profile figure compared to other senior defense officials, Caldwell played a key role behind the scenes. His influence was underscored in internal Signal messages published by The Atlantic in March, where Hegseth described him as the most capable liaison for coordinating with the National Security Council in the lead-up to US strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
A Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, Caldwell has drawn criticism for remarks seen as isolationist. Before joining the Pentagon, he told the Financial Times in December 2024 that the Iraq war was a magnificent crime and argued the US would have been better off keeping its troops at home.
Caldwell has also been a vocal opponent of large-scale military aid to Ukraine and has urged a reevaluation of America’s commitments in Europe.
According to Reuters, his removal is not related to the broader wave of personnel changes following Hegseth’s appointment as defense secretary in January.
Scandal at the Pentagon
In March, a major scandal erupted at the US Department of Defense over the leak of classified information.
Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to a secret chat within the Trump administration where discussions were taking place about airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
According to the investigation, just half an hour before the operation against the Houthis began, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent information to the chat regarding the timing of American fighter jets, drones, and missile launches.
The scandal nearly led to the resignation of US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
