Signal scandal: Media uncover far more chats involving US Defense Secretary than initially reported
Photo: Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of Defense (Getty Images)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth discussed Pentagon plans in at least 12 separate Signal chats, Newsweek informs.
The reports indicate that Hegseth used Signal to exchange encrypted messages much more frequently than previously known.
According to Newsweek, in one case, the Pentagon chief ordered his aides via Signal to inform foreign governments about an ongoing military operation. In particular, Hegseth used the app for:
- coordinating media appearances;
- planning overseas trips;
- managing his schedule;
- discussing other non-classified but sensitive matters.
US Secretary of Defense personally created many chats on Signal and sent messages from an unsecured Department of Defense line, as well as from his personal phone.
Signal scandal
In late March, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, gained access to a private Signal chat where strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen were being discussed.
Following the leak, the US Department of Defense conducted a purge. The following individuals were dismissed:
- Hegseth's Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper;
- three other officials.
The officials, in turn, claimed they were victims of baseless accusations and weren't even told what the exact allegations were.
