Top Pentagon aide dismissed as secret chat leak triggers fallout
Photo: Pete Hughes, Chairman of the Pentagon (Getty Images)
The Pentagon has dismissed the chief aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, particularly amid the scandal over the data leak, according to Politico.
The chief of staff to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joe Kasper, will leave his position in the coming days.
This is happening amid a high-profile scandal involving the leak of confidential information from the Pentagon, which has caused serious personnel upheaval in the defense department.
According to American media, Kasper will receive a new position in the same department.
However, his departure comes after several officials close to Hegseth were placed on leave due to the leak investigation – including advisor Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary Colin Carroll.
According to sources, Carroll and Selnick plan to file lawsuits over their dismissal, considering it unlawful. Meanwhile, some Democrats are using the situation as evidence of Pete Hegseth’s inability to effectively manage the defense department.
These personnel decisions culminated a week of crisis at the Pentagon, further complicated by a leak of classified information through the Signal messenger, in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth himself was involved.
Additionally, Elon Musk’s recent visit to a government institution has sparked mixed reactions.
As Politico sources in the Pentagon note, the conflict between Kasper and some of the suspended advisors was of a personal nature.
At the same time, within the defense department itself, there are fears that destabilization of the leadership may impact the management of the entire system.
"There is a complete meltdown in the building, and this is really reflecting on the secretary’s leadership," said a senior US defense official.
Scandal surrounding the secret Signal chat
The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally added to a secret chat of Donald Trump’s administration, where strikes on Yemeni Houthis were being discussed.
Congressmen and senators have called for an investigation into the situation.
For his part, Waltz denies discussing military plans in the chat. He accused journalist Goldberg of spreading "false" information.
Read more about the scandalous incident in RBC-Ukraine's article.
