Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared classified details about US military strikes in Yemen via a private Signal group chat that included his wife and brother, according to a New York Times report.
The revelation comes on the heels of claims by The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who previously said he was added to a Signal group involving top US security officials discussing operations in Yemen.
Classified flight schedules shared
The NYT report states that Hegseth used a second Signal chat to share flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets involved in the strikes against Houthi targets. The message was reportedly sent on March 15. The recipients included his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, brother Phil Hegseth, and his personal attorney, Tim Parlatore.
Civilian access raises security concerns
Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer, is not employed by the Defense Department. Though not an official, her inclusion in a group with such sensitive information raises concerns.
Other members with ties to Pentagon
Phil Hegseth and Tim Parlatore reportedly hold positions within the Pentagon, though their access to the type of detailed operational data shared by Hegseth has not been officially confirmed.
Same strike plans sent to Atlantic Editor, family: Report
The news report citing people with knowledge of the chat said that the information Pete Hegseth shared on Signal was the same operational details he had shared earlier in another Signal chat, which mistakenly included The Atlantic’s editor.
As of now, neither the Pentagon nor Hegseth has issued a public response to the report.
Hegseth’s “Defense | Team Huddle” Signal group
According to the report, Pete Hegseth created the private Signal group “Defense | Team Huddle” before his confirmation as Defense Secretary, and it reportedly included several private individuals.
In contrast, a separate Signal chat set up by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was intended for top Trump officials coordinating military operations.
Hegseth adviser’s removal amid leak investigation
Meanwhile, just days earlier, Hegseth’s senior adviser Dan Caldwell was sent on leave following his identification in a Pentagon leak investigation within the Department of Defense, Reuters reported. A March 21 memo signed by Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, called for a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications.”
