Senior Pentagon Advisor Removed Amid Leak Investigation Involving Sensitive Military Disclosures

A senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been placed on administrative leave and escorted from the Pentagon, according to a Defense Department official, as part of an ongoing internal investigation into unauthorized information leaks.

Dan Caldwell, a prominent foreign policy voice and longtime advocate for military restraint, is at the center of the probe. Caldwell previously held roles at Defense Priorities and Concerned Veterans for America, organizations that promote a less interventionist U.S. foreign policy. His connections to Secretary Hegseth—who once led one of these organizations—are now under increased scrutiny.

Pentagon officials say Caldwell’s removal is tied to an alleged “unauthorized disclosure” of sensitive information, though specific details remain under wraps pending the investigation’s outcome.

The Department of Defense recently announced a wide-ranging effort to identify individuals behind recent leaks of classified or sensitive material. The campaign will include the use of polygraph examinations for certain personnel suspected of sharing information without authorization.

“This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense,” wrote Chief of Staff Joe Kasper in an internal memo. “The report will include a complete record of unauthorized disclosures within the Department of Defense and recommendations to improve security and prevent future leaks.”

According to the memo, any individual identified as responsible for leaking classified material could face criminal charges. The aggressive response reflects growing concerns within the Pentagon over internal breaches that have compromised sensitive operational and intelligence data.

Caldwell’s name surfaced recently in connection with a leaked private Signal group chat discussing U.S. military strikes on Houthi targets. The group included senior national security officials, and Caldwell was identified in the conversation by Hegseth as the Pentagon’s key contact for the operation.

The chat became public after National Security Advisor Mike Waltz reportedly added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to the group by mistake. The accidental inclusion led to the exposure of private deliberations among high-level defense and intelligence officials.

While the incident involving the Houthis is considered serious, it is reportedly separate from another damaging leak involving the disclosure of classified information about U.S. strikes on Iran.

That leak included sensitive intelligence regarding the use of a dozen 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs in an effort to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program. According to an internal study, the strike failed to halt enrichment activities—information that was quickly picked up by major media outlets including CNN and The New York Times.

Former President Donald Trump has reportedly been furious about the disclosure, blaming lawmakers and members of the intelligence community. He has also suggested that future briefings on military operations may be significantly limited in scope to prevent further leaks.

As the Pentagon works to contain the fallout, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, held a press conference addressing both the internal investigation and the Iran operation.

General Caine revealed that prior to the Iran strike, the Pentagon received “indications and warnings” of a potential retaliatory attack and preemptively evacuated U.S. personnel from certain regional bases.

Hegseth, pushing back on media reports questioning the success of the operation, criticized the premature nature of early intelligence assessments circulating in the press.

“I’m looking at the preliminary DIA report right now. It states clearly that it’s not coordinated with the broader intelligence community and that there’s low confidence in the findings,” Hegseth said during the briefing. “It also notes multiple linchpin assumptions—meaning if even one is off, the entire conclusion falls apart.”

He added, “This was leaked with an agenda—to undermine a historic military operation and cast doubt on its impact. It’s disinformation disguised as analysis.”

Caldwell’s administrative leave marks one of the first high-profile suspensions as the Defense Department intensifies efforts to root out unauthorized disclosures. Officials have not confirmed whether he is formally accused of wrongdoing, and no criminal charges have been announced.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the Pentagon has stated that a full report will be submitted directly to Secretary Hegseth once completed.

As tensions remain high within the Defense Department, the incident underscores broader concerns about internal discipline, information security, and the political implications of leaked intelligence—especially as the United States navigates complex military operations abroad.