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Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Signal scandal: Pentagon probes Pete Hegseth aides; leaks, clearance lapses flagged
Pete Hegseth (AP) Two of the Pentagon's leading investigative agencies are examining the involvement of two close aides to defence secretary Pete Hegseth in a controversy over the use of the Signal app for discussing sensitive government matters, according to three sources familiar with the investigations, as reported by Politico. An investigation was initially opened in early April by the defence department inspector general's office to look into whether Hegeseth breached the agency's standards for sharing classified information by using the Signal app to discuss active attack plans in Yemen. The Signal app, a commercial messaging app, is not approved by the US government to discuss classified information due to security concerns. The Pentagon's investigations into the two senior aides to Hegseth had not been publicly disclosed until now. As part of the investigation, officials are looking into whether Ricky Buria, a senior aide of Hegseth, had allowed him to use the app, circumventing security protocols, as per three people recently interviewed by officials. A separate inquiry is being carried out by the Air Force Office of Special Investigators (OSI), a federal law agency under the Pentagon, to investigate whether Buria could have been a potential source of leaks earlier this year when, as a military aide, he attended sensitive meetings and had access to Hegseth's devices, as per the three people, reports Politico. OSI is also looking into whether Tim Parlatore, Hegseth's personal attorney and a senior adviser at the Department of Defence, attended meetings where classified information was discussed despite not having the necessary security clearance. 'Ricky and Tim are some of the folks that they're zeroing in on as they try to get to the root of everything,' said an individual familiar with the investigations. Hegseth had allegedly created a second chat on the Signal app, which included his wife Jennifer, as well as his brother Phil Hegseth where he shared similar details of a military strike against Yemen's Houthi militants similar to those sent in a separate chain with senior Trump administration officials, reported the New York Times earlier this year. He had allegedly also used a commercial internet line known as 'dirty line' in IT terms to circumvent standard defence security measures and access encrypted messaging platforms like Signal, a source was quoted as saying by AP in April. Investigators have inquired about the security vulnerabilities of the Signal app, the extent of Hegseth's use of it, and the accuracy of the messages. The IG and OSI have asked witnesses if they were ever told to delete Signal messages from their phones, according to two sources. Such actions could break federal records laws like the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act. These laws can lead to civil or administrative penalties, and in more serious cases, officials could face fines or jail time for deleting classified information or government records. 'Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has successfully reoriented the Department of Defense to put the interests of America's Warfighters and America's taxpayers first, and it has never been better positioned to execute on its mission than it is today,' stated Chief Pentagon spokesperson in an email. 'The success speaks for itself,' he added, as reported by Politico. The Pentagon did not comment on the investigation of Hegseth or his aides at the defence department. Buria and Parlatore also did not comment on the ongoing probe.
Politico
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Pentagon probes examine key Hegseth allies
That Defense Department investigators have homed in on Buria and Parlatore also represents a possible step forward in a probe that has consumed the Pentagon for months. The Pentagon IG probe came after reports in The Atlantic that Hegseth in March had used Signal to discuss details of military operations in Yemen with top Trump administration officials. Questions the IG investigators have asked witnesses include, 'Who wrote the information attributed to the Secretary of Defense in The Atlantic regarding the 'Houthi PC Small Group' Signal chat?' and 'Please describe who was present with the Secretary of Defense on March 15, 2025,' the day he sent the messages, according to an email to potential witnesses ahead of interviews and obtained by POLITICO. The questions were first reported by the Associated Press . Investigators have asked about the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the Signal app, how extensively Hegseth used it and the veracity of messages reported by The Atlantic, according to the three people and the emails. The IG and OSI have also questioned witnesses about whether they were ever asked to delete Signal messages off their phones, according to two of the people, which could violate federal records laws , such as the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act. These may carry civil and administrative penalties. Officials can also be sentenced to jail time and forced to pay fines if they are found guilty of removing classified information or destroying government records under similar laws. One of the people said that OSI investigators asked by name whether Buria or Parlatore made those requests. The Pentagon did not answer questions about probes into Hegseth or his allies at the Defense Department, but it championed the Pentagon chief's resume. 'Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has successfully reoriented the Department of Defense to put the interests of America's Warfighters and America's taxpayers first, and it has never been better positioned to execute on its mission than it is today,' Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement. 'The success speaks for itself.' An Air Force spokesperson confirmed OSI is 'conducting an investigation into allegations of unauthorized disclosures' on behalf of Hegseth's office, but declined to comment on the specifics of the probe. One of the people with knowledge of the matter said the investigators have been talking to witnesses since late April. The investigations have intensified questions about Hegseth's leadership in the department, one of the people familiar with the probe said. POLITICO previously reported that Hegseth was deferring to U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla as planning for American military strikes against Iran ramped up last month. U.S. allies have also been caught off guard by the Pentagon's abrupt pause of some weapons shipments to Ukraine. Hegseth's closest allies maintain that he has played a key role in the strikes, pushing NATO allies to a 5 percent defense spending target, and boosting recruiting. 'None of this would have been possible without the complete unity and discipline of the OSD team and the vision and leadership of our commander-in-chief,' Parnell said in the statement.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Federal Judge James Boasberg orders Marc Rubio to hand over Trump officials' Signal scandal messages to DOJ; Here's why
Federal Judge James Boasberg has ordered US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also serving as acting archivist, to collect infamous Signal group chat scandal messages and transfer them to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for review. The data includes messages belonging to the top officials in the Donald Trump administration that might be at risk of deletion, Fox News reported. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US President Donald Trump(Bloomberg) Also Read: Tulsi Gabbard brutally mocked over 'religion' after U-turn on Iran nuclear threat The court was hearing the lawsuit brought by nonprofit government watchdog American Oversight. This came after journalist Jeffrey Goldberg claimed he was inadvertently added to a messaging chain, which included top national security officials in the Trump administration. They are allegedly planning a strike against the Yemen-based Houthis, according to Law & Crime. Also read: Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize: Origin, impact and other key details Earlier, the Atlantic also published a story detailing the Signal chat, in which discussion took place regarding imminent plans to conduct airstrikes against the Houthis, Fox News reported. Judge Boasberg's statement The federal judge stated that the court records highlight that five officials from the Trump administration 'have thus far neglected to fulfill their duties' under the Federal Records Act. Notably, Boasberg is considered among Trump's judicial nemeses post his verdicts in the immigration matter. Judge Boasberg said American Oversight had a strong case against the officials, who used the encrypted messaging app to communicate for work purposes. He added that they even allowed the messages to auto-delete. The lawsuit asked for a preliminary injunction to force the Trump administration to update the record-keeping policies. It sought to preserve all messages while the matter was being heard, besides ordering Rubio to request Attorney General Pam Bondi to get the deleted messages. FAQs 1. Who appointed US district Judge James Boasberg? James Boasberg was appointed by former US President Barack Obama. 2. How did the Donald Trump administration respond to the matter? The Trump administration has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, insisting that the communication was not "classified," as per Fox News report. 3. Who was involved in the Signal incident? It included Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard among others.
Fox News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Judge Boasberg orders Rubio to refer Trump officials' Signal messages to DOJ to ensure preservation
A federal judge on Friday ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as the acting archivist, to collect any Signal messages belonging to top Trump officials that could be at risk of deletion and to refer those messages to the Department of Justice for further review. Judge James Boasberg said his hands were tied beyond that and that he could not do anything about Signal messages that had already been deleted. Boasberg's order came in response to a watchdog group suing five of President Donald Trump's Cabinet members, including Rubio, after the Atlantic published a story revealing their Signal chat discussing imminent plans to conduct airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. Boasberg, who has become one of Trump's top judicial nemeses because of his rulings in an unrelated immigration case, said the court record shows that the five Trump officials "have thus far neglected to fulfill their duties" under the Federal Records Act. The judge said American Oversight, the left-leaning watchdog that brought the lawsuit, made a strong case that the Cabinet officials have used Signal, an encrypted messaging app, to communicate for work purposes and that they have allowed the messages to auto-delete, likely rendering them permanently lost. But in the context of the Federal Records Act, Boasberg said he had limited options to address American Oversight's allegations aside from demanding that Rubio ask Attorney General Pam Bondi to ensure compliance with the law for existing Signal messages that were at risk of deletion. Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, indicated in a statement that the group's lawsuit was over for now but that it was "fully prepared" to sue again if it found the Trump administration failed to comply with Boabsberg's order. "It should never have required court intervention to compel the acting Archivist and other agency heads to perform their basic legal duties, let alone to refer the matter to the Attorney General for enforcement," Chukwu said. The explosive Signal incident involved Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and others communicating about their attack plans in a chat group after then-National Security Adviser Mike Walz apparently accidentally added an Atlantic journalist to the chat. The Trump administration denied wrongdoing and insisted the communication was not "classified." Bondi dodged a question during a press conference about investigating the incident and instead doubled down on the White House's claims that the chat was merely "sensitive" and not "classified." The Pentagon inspector general launched an investigation into the incident in April in response to a bipartisan request from the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Next National Security Adviser Might Be His Worst Ally
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller may be up next for a new position in Donald Trump's administration: Axios reported Friday that he's a top candidate to replace Mike Waltz, Trump's departing national security adviser. Miller, the ghoulish white nationalist behind the president's anti-immigrant crusade, is already serving as the president's adviser on Homeland Security; reportedly he runs the Homeland Security Council 'like clockwork.' Miller has already been working with the National Security Council, running what The Atlantic reported was the 'most active and well-staffed' section on homeland security, which at times operated entirely independently from the leadership office previously run by Waltz. It worked so well that Alex Wong, Waltz's deputy, expressed concerns about the perceived split between the two factions. It's unlikely that Miller's work as a homeland security adviser wouldn't stop him from taking on an additional role: right now, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has four. The secretary is also serving as the head of what remains of the United States Agency for International Development and the acting archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration—and in doing so, has found himself leading both an agency that has violated the Federal Records Act and the one that is meant to ensure that doesn't happen. Two White House sources told Axios that Miller's work with Rubio made him well-suited for the role. Another said that the fiery advocate had already expressed his interest in taking on the job, and another said that 'if Stephen wants the job, it's hard to see why Trump wouldn't say yes.' In recent weeks, Miller has been a fierce advocate for the Trump administration's immigration policies—sometimes too fierce—and has set off on unhinged rants during multiple television interviews and addresses.
