Hegseth on China_06012025_1
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth MOHD RASFAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Two top aides of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are reportedly being investigated for their roles in the controversy known as "Signalgate," when the official shared highly sensitive information about an upcoming military strike on the messaging app.

Politico reported on Monday that the Defense Department Inspector General's office in April opened an investigation to determine whether Hegseth violated agency standards with his actions.

As part of the investigation, the office is also looking into whether senior aide Ricky Buria helped Hegseth set up an unsecured internet line that bypassed the agency's security protocols, allowing him to access the app, which is not approved for government use.

Another inquiry by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations is looking into whether Buria has been a source for leaks. The office is also inquiring about Hegseth's personal attorney, Tim Parlatore. Concretely, it is asking whether he attended meetings above his clearance level where classified information was discussed.

Hegseth has surrounded by controversies since the beginning of his tenure. Back in April, some of the Defense Secretary's closest allies, Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick, were escorted out of the Pentagon in connection with an investigation into allegations of a leak of sensitive information.

A little less than a week later, The New York Times reported on the Signalgate scandal, in which he allegedly shared sensitive information about an ongoing U.S. military operation in Yemen on a Signal chat that included his wife, his personal attorney and his brother, along with others close to him. Hegseth dismissed the report as a politically motivated attack.

Last month NBC News reported that the administration was struggling to fill key roles with qualified people willing to work for one of the highest-ranking Cabinet members.

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