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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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The Pentagon's watchdog has concluded that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth risked endangering American troops when he shared sensitive information on the messaging app Signal earlier this year, the Associated Press Wednesday.
In a report set to be made public Thursday, the Department of Defense's Inspector General said Hegseth's messages about planned strikes in Yemen contained information that was still potentially classified when he pressed send.
When asked about the report, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Newsweek that it left Hegseth in the clear.
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"The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along - no classified information was shared," Parnell said via email. "This matter is resolved, and the case is closed."
Why It Matters
The report comes as Hegseth remains under scrutiny for his handling of more recent strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, aimed at alleged drug smuggling vessels, but the so-called "Signal Gate" in March remains a key problem for the former Fox News host and veteran to clear up.
At the time, military families said trust had been compromised when a journalist was allowed into a messaging chain with Hegseth and other top administration officials.
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What To Know
According to CNN, which spoke to four people familiar with the report already sent to Congress before it is published Thursday, Hegseth sent messages in the group chat that included real-time information on American troops' movements as they prepared to strike Houthi targets in Yemen.
"This is when the first bombs will drop," one message from the secretary was reported to have said.
What is at issue is whether Hegseth had declassified any of the information before or at the time of sending the messages in March, with the Inspector General finding no evidence of such an action, CNN reported.
The report will mark the conclusion of an eight-month investigation into Hegseth's use of the Signal app, which came to light after a senior editor at The Atlantic was added to the chat and made some messages public.
During the fallout, the Senate Armed Services Committee called for an investigation, with chair Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, writing in a letter to the Inspector General that he needed to know whether DOD procedures were followed.
What People Are Saying
Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, speaking about Hegseth on December 1: "This is not a serious person. He should’ve been fired after SignalGate. And then every single day after that."
Representative Roger Wicker, in his letter on March 27: "This chat was alleged to have included classified information pertaining to sensitive military actions in Yemen. If true, this reporting raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know."
What Happens Next
The full report is due to be published on Thursday.
Update 12/3/25, 1:52 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 12/3/25, 3:29 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Sean Parnell.
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