JD Vance sent a text in Hegseth's notorious Signalgate group at 2:30am following the scandal.

Investigators have disclosed that J.D. Vance rejoined the notorious Signal group where Pete Hegseth shared sensitive details about military operations in Yemen after the attacks occurred. The Department of Defenses investigation determined that Vance sent a message to the chat on March 25 at 2:30 a.m., the day after news emerged that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, had been added to the conversation.

Vance wrote, This chats kind of dead. Anything going on? despite the chat having been compromised. According to the DODs 84-page report on the Signalgate scandal, the chat remained largely inactive after Vances message, with no responses from other participants. Shortly after, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent activated a setting that automatically deleted messages after eight hours. Additionally, a participant identified as MAR updated their profile name to MR., while CIA Director John Ratcliffe changed his display to John.

The investigation confirmed that Hegseth violated departmental rules by using the group for official matters, endangering U.S. personnel. The report emphasized, Conducting official business and sharing nonpublic DoD information through Signal on a personal device risks exposure of sensitive data, which could jeopardize personnel and mission objectives.

Details in the report show that on March 14 at 9 p.m., the Secretary of Defense received classified information about planned strikes on Yemen, marked SECRET//NOFORN, from the head of U.S. Central Command. Hegseth subsequently shared the information in the Houthi PC Small Group Signal chat on March 15 at 11:44 p.m., just hours before the operations began.

Goldberg, added to the chat by Michael Waltz, broke the story on March 24, redacting sensitive information to protect U.S. forces. Investigators relied heavily on Goldbergs reporting, as only partial copies of the chat were available from participants.

Hegseth has denied that the messages contained classified information, stating on social media, No classified information. Total exoneration. Case closed. Houthis bombed into submission.

The report has intensified calls from Democrats for Hegseths dismissal over mishandling sensitive military data. The chat was accidentally leaked when a journalist was added to the group. Senator Mark Warner, senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, commented, An objective, evidence-based investigation by the Pentagon's internal watchdog leaves no doubt: Secretary Hegseth endangered the lives of American pilots. His actions show a pattern of recklessness and poor judgment.

Hegseth is also facing allegations that the DOD committed a war crime following a double tap strike on a Venezuelan vessel allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The secretary reportedly instructed officials to kill everybody on board, resulting in a second strike on the survivors. Hegseth has dismissed these claims as fake news, insisting that the strikes complied with U.S. and international law.

Author: Sophia Brooks