Two senior Pentagon officials have been placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into unauthorized disclosures of sensitive military information.
Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, deputy chief of staff, were both escorted from the Pentagon as part of the probe.
The investigation centers on alleged leaks of classified information regarding several sensitive matters. These include military plans for the Panama Canal, deployment of a carrier to the Red Sea, details of Elon Musk’s Pentagon visit, and intelligence collection for Ukraine operations.
“I expect to be informed immediately if this effort results in information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure,” wrote Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s chief of staff, in a March memo. The memo also suggested using polygraphs during the investigation into the concerning leaks.
Caldwell, an Iraq War veteran who served in the Marine Corps, previously worked at Defense Priorities and Concerned Veterans for America. The latter organization was formerly led by Hegseth before his appointment as Defense Secretary.
Selnick, meanwhile, held positions in both the White House and the Department of Veterans Affairs during the previous Trump administration. Both officials were reportedly involved in the investigation following concerning information breaches.
Sources indicate the investigation was triggered after reports emerged about a Signal chat involving Hegseth that accidentally included a journalist. The chat reportedly contained sensitive information that raised security concerns.
Another significant element of the investigation involves reports of a top-secret briefing for Elon Musk. While the Trump administration has denied such briefings, Musk’s involvement with government activities has drawn attention.
The Defense Department has not officially commented on specific allegations against either Caldwell or Selnick. The investigation continues as officials work to identify the source of unauthorized disclosures that could impact national security.