US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is at the center of a scandal following reports of his use of the commercial messaging app Signal on a desktop computer at the Pentagon. This is reported by the Washington Post, writes UNN.
Details
According to sources of the publication, Defense Minister Pete Hegseth managed the installation of Signal, a commercial messaging application, on a desktop computer in his office at the Pentagon.
It is reported that Hegseth actually "cloned" the Signal application on his personal mobile phone. This step is reported to have been a reaction to the lack of cellular communication in most of the Pentagon. Hegseth and his aides were looking for ways to circumvent these restrictions and coordinate more quickly with the White House and other senior officials via the encrypted Signal platform.
According to sources, Hegseth installed Signal on a computer in a secure area of the Pentagon where mobile phones and other personal devices are prohibited. This allowed him to communicate freely with individuals outside the military headquarters.
Other aides, including Joe Casper, Hegseth's then chief of staff, also expressed interest in using Signal on Pentagon computers, but it is unclear how widespread the use of the app became. It is also unclear whether Hegseth and his team of political advisers complied with US law requiring them to preserve such messages.
Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, said in a statement that the Secretary of Defense's use of communication systems and channels is classified, but his office can confirm that Hegseth "has never used and does not currently use Signal on his government computer."
Two people familiar with Hegseth's working habits said he had Signal installed on a second computer in the office. They also added that he was interested in installing a program to send regular text messages from the office.
This incident has become another growing crisis for the Pentagon after the Secretary of Defense used it to share sensitive details about an upcoming military operation in Yemen.
Recall
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared details of the March attack on Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis in a message group that included his wife, brother, and personal attorney.