WASHINGTON: US Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth shared data on forthcoming US air strikes on Yemen in a personal Sign chat group that included his spouse, brother and private lawyer, the New York Instances reported on Sunday (Apr 20).
AFP was not in a position to independently confirm the Instances’ report, which detailed what can be the second time Hegseth has been accused of sharing delicate army data on the business messaging app with unauthorised personnel.
Final month, The Atlantic journal revealed that its editor-in-chief was inadvertently included in a Sign chat by which officers together with Hegseth and Nationwide Safety Advisor Mike Waltz discussed the strikes, which befell on Mar 15.
The revelation sparked an uproar, with US President Donald Trump’s administration going through a scandal over the accidental leak. A Pentagon Inspector-Normal’s probe into that leak is ongoing.
On Sunday, the Instances reported that Hegseth had shared data on the identical March 15 strikes with the second Sign group chat.
The knowledge shared “included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets focusing on the Houthis in Yemen”, the newspaper reported.
The outlet mentioned that, not like the unintended leak the place journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly included within the group, this group chat was created by Hegseth. The opposite chat was initiated by Waltz.
“It included his spouse and a few dozen different folks from his private {and professional} interior circle in January, earlier than his affirmation as protection secretary,” the Instances’ reported, citing unnamed sources.
Hegseth’s spouse Jennifer is a journalist and former Fox Information producer. The group additionally included his brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, each of whom serve in roles on the Pentagon.
Parlatore additionally continues to function Hegseth’s private lawyer, the Instances reported.
The Pentagon didn’t instantly reply to an AFP request for remark.
