A Pentagon investigation into leaked classified information has widened to include two additional aides to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Hegseth, was escorted out of the building and placed on administrative leave after what one official described as an "unauthorized disclosure." Now, two more aides — Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll — are also on leave as the internal probe continues.
Selnick, recently appointed deputy chief of staff to Hegseth, and Carroll, who served as chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, were both placed on leave this week. Officials said more names could be added as the investigation develops.
The probe stems from a March 21 memo by Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, which requested a review into "unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications." The memo also left open the possibility of polygraph testing.
The case has drawn attention given Caldwell’s role. He was previously identified in a leaked Signal message exchange as Hegseth’s key liaison with the National Security Council ahead of U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
Caldwell has been a controversial figure in Washington. A veteran of the Iraq War, he had publicly questioned U.S. military commitments overseas. In a December 2024 interview with the Financial Times, Caldwell called the Iraq War "a monstrous crime" and argued the U.S. would have been better off avoiding prolonged deployments abroad.
He also voiced skepticism over U.S. military support for Ukraine and pushed for a leaner American footprint in Europe.
While the three aides were placed on leave due to the leak investigation, the move comes during a broader shake-up at the Pentagon since Hegseth assumed the role in January. High-profile firings have included the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Navy’s top admiral, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and several top military lawyers.
The White House and Pentagon have declined to comment on whether any criminal charges are expected as part of the investigation.
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Russian air strikes injured 13 and damaged buildings in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and in the Black Sea port city of Odesa in the early hours of Thursday, officials said on the Telegram messaging app.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he hoped the war against Iran was nearing its end and that Tehran wanted to reach a deal, but Iran dismissed his comments as “mixed signals” as the conflict approaches its seventh month.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russia’s first State Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine is testing the country’s political system as voters choose a new parliament amid wartime and economic pressures.
From Russia’s parliamentary election and Germany’s regional votes to the U.S. midterms, several major elections are taking place in September and November of 2026. Meanwhile, Sweden has already voted, with parties now negotiating to form a new government.
Pakistan has described the situation around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as “exceptionally serious”, calling for dialogue and diplomacy as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensify.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are taking “concrete steps” to make a recently signed joint defence pact operational, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday.
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