Dan Caldwell, top adviser to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday after being identified in an investigation into internal leaks, a U.S. official told Reuters.
Caldwell has been placed on administrative leave due to what the official described as “an unauthorized disclosure.” The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the action had not been publicly reported before Tuesday.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Defense (DOD) via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The DOD has faced recent scrutiny after Hegseth and other top Trump Cabinet officials engaged in a Signal group chat, which included a journalist, while discussing war plans.
Signal is an encrypted messaging app. The handling of the sensitive military discussions among Trump brass also triggered widespread U.S. security concerns.
Hegseth has repeatedly rebuked the initial report from Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic: “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” National security adviser Mike Waltz also took a swipe at Goldberg last month, calling him the “bottom scum of journalists.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers a speech at the Central American Security Conference in Panama City on April 9. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers a speech at the Central American Security Conference in Panama City on April 9. AFP/Getty Images
What To Know
According to Reuters national security reporter Phil Stewart on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, Caldwell was placed on leave after a memo issued on March 21 ordered an investigation into Pentagon leaks.
The order was issued by Hegseth’s chief of staff (Joe Kasper), Stewart said.
Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin also confirmed Reuters’ report, posting to X on Tuesday: “Fox can confirm @Reuters reporting below. Top Hegseth advisor Dan Caldwell escorted from the building, being investigated for ‘unauthorized disclosure’ of classified information. ‘We can confirm the Reuters reporting is accurate, but we do not comment on ongoing investigations,’ a senior US official told @FoxNews.”
Griffin then linked to the exclusive from Reuters, which was first to report on Caldwell’s departure.
Update 04/15/25, 3:47 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
