Ousted Hegseth Official Says He Wasn’t Told Why He Was Investigated
Ousted Hegseth Official Says He Wasn’t Told Why He Was Investigated
Published Apr 21, 2025 at 11:37 PM EDT
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Trump Comments on New Hegseth Signal War Plans Chat: ‘That’s An Old One’
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Dan Caldwell, former top adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said he has not been told why he was being investigated and if there is still an inquiry ongoing amid an internal probe into leaks at the Department of Defense (DOD).
Newsweek reached out to the DOD via email Monday for comment.
Why It Matters
The department has faced increased scrutiny after Hegseth and other top Trump Cabinet officials engaged in a Signal group chat, which included a journalist, while discussing imminent war plans.
Signal is an encrypted messaging app. The handling of the sensitive military discussions among Trump’s brass also triggered widespread U.S. security concerns.
Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz have repeatedly rebuked the initial report from Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
Amid reports of firings within the department over the weekend, an additional report by The New York Times accuses Hegseth of sharing additional attack plans in a second Signal chat with members of his family and personal attorney.
Hegseth called out the new report of the second group chat, saying in part, “this is what the media does.” President Donald Trump has repeatedly come to the defense of Hegseth in the immediate aftermath of both incidents.
What To Know
Reports of the firing circulated Friday night and were later confirmed by Caldwell in a joint statement with former Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, former chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary.
The firings came after the officials were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the internal leaks at the DOD.
“We are incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended. Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door. All three of us served our country honorably in uniform—for two of us, this included deployments to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, based on our collective service, we understand the importance of information security and worked every day to protect it,” the joint statement read.
Caldwell spoke with Tucker Carlson in a video that aired to social media on Monday evening. Carlson asked the ousted DOD official if he even knew the nature of the accusation against him.
Read more Department of Defense
- Former NATO Chief Calls Op-Ed on Pete Hegseth ‘Pretty Damning’
- Pete Hegseth Unlikely to Remain Defense Secretary: Ex-DOD Spokesperson
- White House Responds to Pete Hegseth Second Signal Chat Reports
- Top DOD Officials Under Hegseth Fired Amid Leak Probe: Reports
“No,” Caldwell responded. “Sitting her
