Source says Pentagon may release report on "Signalgate" this week

A Pentagon inspector generals investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths use of the encrypted messaging app Signal could be made public in the coming days, according to a source familiar with the situation. The inquiry began months ago after a journalist was mistakenly added to a private group chat used by senior Trump administration officials to discuss planned military actions in Yemen.

A copy of the inspector generals findings has already been shared with members of Congress. An edited, unclassified version of the report is expected to be released publicly as early as Thursday. The planned disclosure was first reported by Axios.

The investigation was launched at the request of lawmakers and focused on whether Hegseth and other Defense Department personnel followed official rules when using a commercial messaging platform for government business. In an internal memo, Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins said his office was assessing compliance with Department of Defense policies regarding both messaging security and records retention.

The controversy began when The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg disclosed that he had been unintentionally included in an 18-person Signal chat used by government officials to coordinate a sensitive air operation targeting the Houthi movement in Yemen, which controls large portions of the country. The group chat contained messages that appeared to describe the timing of airstrikes, involved aircraft, and operational updates from high-ranking officials, including then-National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Vice President JD Vance.

The National Security Council later confirmed the authenticity of the messages but maintained that the information shared was not classified. At the time, President Trump publicly supported the officials involved. Waltz, who now serves as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, later admitted creating the chat group and called the situation embarrassing, though he said he did not know how Goldbergs number had been added.

Democratic lawmakers strongly criticized the incident, questioning how a reporter could gain access to such a sensitive conversation and whether national security had been compromised. While Signals end-to-end encryption makes unauthorized interception difficult, specialists note that human mistakes and phishing attempts remain major vulnerabilities on any messaging platform.

According to earlier reporting, investigators obtained evidence suggesting that messages sent from Hegseths account contained information drawn from a classified email. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell reiterated the departments position that no classified materials were shared through the app. Questions have also been raised about whether the messages were properly preserved under federal record-keeping laws, especially since some were reportedly set to disappear after one week.

The pending release of the report comes at a politically sensitive moment. Recently, another incident came to light involving a military operation in the Caribbean Sea against a suspected drug-smuggling vessel. Reports claimed that multiple strikes were carried out, including a follow-up attack on survivors. Although the Trump administration confirmed that a second strike occurred, it denied that Hegseth ordered such an action. He has stated that the operation was lawful and that any subsequent strike was authorized by the commanding officer, Admiral Frank Bradley.

Democratic leaders have since called for further transparency, warning that an order to target shipwrecked survivors could potentially constitute a war crime. The forthcoming inspector generals report is expected to shed light on the Signal messaging controversy and address wider concerns around protocol, accountability, and oversight within the Defense Department.

Author: Sophia Brooks