Senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put on leave amid leak investigation

Pentagon watchdog to measure Signal leak

Pete Hegseth's usage of Signal to beryllium evaluated by Defense Department watchdog 02:20

The Pentagon has enactment a elder advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth connected administrative permission pending an probe into an unauthorized disclosure, a defence authoritative confirmed to CBS News. Dan Caldwell was escorted from the Pentagon connected Tuesday, according to the official. 

Hegseth's main of unit Joe Kasper issued a memo astatine the extremity of March directing the Pentagon to behaviour an probe into unauthorized disclosures and usage prevarication detector tests if necessary. 

Reuters was the archetypal to study Caldwell was enactment connected administrative permission amid an investigation. 

It's unclear what specifically Caldwell is accused of.

Caldwell antecedently worked astatine Defense Priorities, a overseas argumentation deliberation tank, and Concerned Veterans for America, an enactment Hegseth formerly led. Caldwell served successful the Marine Corps and is simply a seasoned of the Iraq War. 

He was mentioned successful The Atlantic nonfiction that showed text messages astir strikes against the Houthis. According to The Atlantic, Hegseth designated him successful the chat to correspond the Defense Department. 

The memo from Kasper was issued the aforesaid time the Pentagon and the White House vehemently denied reports that Elon Musk was visiting the Pentagon to person a briefing connected warfare plans successful the lawsuit of a warfare with China. Although the Trump medication has said that Musk has nary authoritative relation astatine the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has been heavy progressive successful the bureau and has attended respective of President Trump's Cabinet meetings.