A leading adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was escorted out of the Pentagon and placed on administrative leave amid investigations into leaks at the Defense Department.
Dan Caldwell was placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure,” a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
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The DOD has been on high alert for leaks since the Signal group chat controversy last month. DOD officials said they would use polygraph tests in their investigation.
“Recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications with principals within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) demand immediate and thorough investigation,” Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s chief of staff, said in a March memo.
He added that “information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure” would be referred for criminal prosecution.
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Caldwell is a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Iraq War and advised the Pentagon on Ukraine. He previously worked at the Defense Priorities think tank.
He was named the Pentagon’s primary contact to coordinate U.S. military strikes on Yemen by Hegseth in the Signal group chat logs.