US defence chief shared sensitive information in second Signal chat

 

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared information on forthcoming US air strikes on Yemen in a private Signal chat group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

AFP was not able to independently verify the Times' report, which detailed what would be the second time Hegseth has been accused of sharing sensitive military information on the commercial messaging app with unauthorised personnel.

Last month, The Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief was inadvertently included in a Signal chat in which officials, including Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, discussed the strikes, which took place on March 15.

The revelation sparked an uproar, with US President Donald Trump's administration facing a scandal over the accidental leak. A Pentagon Inspector-General's probe into that leak is ongoing.

On Sunday, the Times reported that Hegseth had shared information on the same March 15 strikes with the second Signal group chat.

The information shared "included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen," the newspaper reported.

The outlet said that unlike the accidental leak where journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly included in the group, this group chat was created by Hegseth. The other chat was initiated by Waltz.

"It included his wife and about a dozen other people from his personal and professional inner circle in January, before his confirmation as defence secretary," the Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

Hegseth's wife, Jennifer, is a journalist and former Fox News producer. The group also included his brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, both of whom serve in roles at the Pentagon.

Parlatore also continues to serve as Hegseth's lawyer, the Times reported.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

'Unconscionable'

Trump largely pinned the blame for the earlier leak on Waltz, but has dismissed calls to fire top officials and insisted instead on what he called the success of the raids on the Yemeni rebels.

This week, three top Pentagon officials were put on leave pending investigations into unspecified leaks in the Defence Department.

Deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, senior advisor Dan Caldwell and Colin Carroll hit back on Sunday, releasing a statement saying Pentagon officials had "slandered our character with baseless attacks."

"At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of 'leaks' to begin with," they said in a joint statement posted on social media.

"While this experience has been unconscionable, we remain supportive of the Trump-Vance Administration's mission to make the Pentagon great again and achieve peace through strength."