Brought to light when high-ranking officials accidentally included The Atlantic's editor in a Signal group chat, the report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Pentagon blasts numerous missteps.
The report, released to the House and Senate committees overseeing the department, is set to be publicly released on Thursday.
But sources who viewed the still-classified document told The Hill and sister station NewsNation that it determined that if the detailed strike plans Hegseth shared had been intercepted by a foreign adversary, it would have clearly endangered troops.
Hegseth would not sit for an interview with the inspector general team, nor would he provide all of the Signal messages, remarkably forcing the OIG to rely on screenshots published by The Atlantic.
In a short written statement, the secretary apparently accused the OIG investigation of being partisan, arguing he had the power to declassify the information in the chat and only sent information that wouldn't endanger troops — a characterization the OIG disputed.
While defense secretaries have the power to declassify information, the report does not comment on whether Hegseth had done so appropriately.
In a statement, the Defense Department cast the critical report as a "total exoneration" of Hegseth.
"The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along – no classified information was shared. This matter is resolved, and the case is closed," Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
Lawmakers who had seen the report countered that assertion.
"No," said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), adding that Hegseth should "take responsibility."
"I would say it's a total indictment," said Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), a former Army officer and legal adviser at the National Security Council.
"He was not exonerated by that report," added Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
Members on both sides of the aisle blasted Hegseth's handling of the entire episode.
Some lawmakers also faulted Hegseth's argument that he is in the clear by allegedly having declassified the information he shared in the chat.
Vindman said the report itself was classified NOFORN, an abbreviation used to indicate information should not be shared with other countries. He said that indicates the underlying intelligence he shared was also likely considered NOFORN and highly classified.
Smith also faulted Hegseth for refusing to speak with investigators for the report.
"He didn't sit for an interview; he didn't turn over his phone. He undermined the report throughout. And I think that too is a dereliction of duty. I mean, he's responsible, and I think it's keeping with the broader theme. He doesn't think he's accountable to anybody. He doesn't think he has to pay attention to the law, and I think he does," Smith said, "so that's a big problem."
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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