People familiar with the report told The Washington Post that the attack plans had initially been shared with more than a dozen defense officials via a classified email sent over a classified system by U.S. Central Command head Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla.
Hegseth then posted the details in the unclassified Signal group chat directly before Washington launched its attacks on March 15. He also shared the information in a separate chat that included his wife, brother and personal attorney.
The military labels material "SECRET" if unauthorized disclosure could potentially cause serious damage to national security, while "NOFORN" means the email was not meant for anyone who is a foreign national.
The findings from the Defense Department Inspector General's office seems to contradict the Trump administration's repeated, adamant claims that no classified information was shared in the Signal group chats, which were revealed after the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic was inadvertently added to one.
The department's inspector general's office began to look into the incident in April after Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee requested it do so.
The revelation also offers a new headache for Hegseth, who has faced mounting criticism over the leaked Signal chats, his management style, as well his reported decision to pause military aid to Ukraine without President Trump's approval.
In a statement to The Hill on Wednesday, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell doubled down on the claim that no classified information was shared on Signal, calling the "narrative" "old and worn out."
"The Department stands behind its previous statements: no classified information was shared via Signal. As we've said repeatedly, nobody was texting war plans and the success of the Department's recent operations–from Operation Rough Rider to Operation Midnight Hammer–are proof that our operational security and discipline are top notch," Parnell said, touting the military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen and U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities last month.
The Post reported that Kurilla sent his sensitive message over a classified system known as the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet). He included a rundown of strike plans for March 15, including when bombing was expected to begin and what kind of aircraft and weapons would be used.
Two people told the Post that they were not aware of any discussions for Hegseth to declassify and downgrade the information Kurilla sent — as government regulations can allow — before he sent it to the Signal chats.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
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