INV-013 · Money & ethics · Misuse of office
Hegseth's use of Signal for strike plans
Stage 3 of 5: Official review · IG, ethics office or majority · Last development 1 May 2026
The Defense Department Inspector General found that information Hegseth shared in a Signal group chat about a pending Yemen operation was classified and could have endangered troops, and that he broke military rules by using his personal phone for official business.
The report has not been released publicly; findings are as described by two people who read it.
- People
- Pete Hegseth
- Agencies
- Defense Dept
- Reviewed by
- DoD Inspector General, Armed Services & Intelligence committees, Federal court (D.D.C.)
Timeline
After the government files supplemental declarations, the parties agree to dismiss the case with prejudice. [3]
The DoD Inspector General files its report after an investigation of more than eight months. It goes to the armed services and intelligence committees. [1]
Chief Judge Boasberg finds the group likely to succeed and orders agency heads to notify the Archivist of Signal messages at risk of loss. [2]
American Oversight sues Hegseth, Gabbard, Ratcliffe, Bessent, Rubio and the National Archives, saying auto-deleting Signal messages about the Yemen strikes violated the Federal Records Act. [2]
Responses
- Pete Hegseth: Maintains he shared no classified information in the chat. [1]
Who is acting on it
- Lawsuit American Oversight: Sued to preserve the Signal messages under the Federal Records Act (25 Mar 2025, What happened next)
- Investigation Defense Dept Inspector General: Eight-month investigation of Hegseth's Signal use (2 Dec 2025, Published)
Sources
Cite this case
Public Trust Tracker. "Hegseth's use of Signal for strike plans" (INV-013). Last updated 1 May 2026. https://publictrusttracker.org/case/inv-013-hegseths-use-of-signal-for-strike-plans/
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