A Pentagon watchdog has determined that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information — and potentially endangering U.S. troops — when he shared details of a planned strike in Yemen using the commercial messaging app Signal, according to two sources familiar with a classified investigative report.

The Defense Department’s inspector general (IG) found that the information Hegseth shared had been properly classified by U.S. Central Command before he relayed it to colleagues — and to his wife — through the encrypted app, the sources said. Because of the high sensitivity of the material, investigators concluded it should not have been transmitted on a commercial platform, even one with encryption, due to the risk of interception by adversaries.

According to the report, Hegseth refused to sit for an in-person interview during the investigation. Instead, he submitted a written statement arguing that, as defense secretary, he possesses the authority to classify or declassify information and therefore acted within his rights.

Hegseth also contended that the details he shared were not sensitive and would not have endangered U.S. forces if exposed — a claim the inspector general rejected, concluding the information was in fact highly sensitive and could have placed troops at risk.