December 2, 2025 — A Pentagon inspector general report into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the encrypted messaging app Signal could be released this week, a source told CBS News. A copy of the report has been provided to Congress, and Axios reported a redacted, unclassified version may be made public as early as Thursday.
The inquiry began about eight months ago at the request of lawmakers. Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins said his office was examining “the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business.” The review will look at both classification handling and records-retention practices.
The probe follows March reporting by The Atlantic’s editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who said he had been added to an 18-person Signal chat labeled “Houthi PC small group,” used by administration officials discussing a sensitive operation targeting the Houthis in Yemen. Messages published by Goldberg appeared to include material from Hegseth’s account about strike timing and aircraft, updates from then-National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and posts from Vice President J.D. Vance.
The National Security Council said the messages appeared authentic. The White House has maintained that the content was not classified, and President Trump publicly defended his staff. Waltz acknowledged creating the chat, called the episode “embarrassing,” and said he did not know how Goldberg’s number was added.
Democrats raised concerns about how a reporter was included in what seemed to be a highly sensitive discussion and whether operational security had been compromised. Security experts note that while Signal offers end-to-end encryption, human error, mishandling and phishing remain risks across messaging platforms.
CBS News previously reported that the inspector general obtained evidence over the summer suggesting messages from Hegseth’s account included details that matched a classified email. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell reiterated the department’s stance that “no classified information was shared via Signal.” The Atlantic reported some messages were set to disappear after a week, prompting questions about compliance with records-retention rules; Stebbins said his team would review adherence to classification and retention requirements.
Sources told CBS in April that Hegseth also shared strike details in a second private Signal group that included family members and his personal attorney.
The release of the IG report comes as Hegseth faces additional scrutiny related to a Washington Post story about a Sept. 2 strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. The Post reported that a follow-on strike killed survivors and quoted sources saying Hegseth urged the operation to “kill everybody.” The Trump administration confirmed a second strike occurred but denied Hegseth ordered it. Democratic lawmakers have pressed for more details and suggested such an order could raise questions about potential war crimes; Hegseth has said the strikes were lawful and that Adm. Frank Bradley ordered the follow-on strike.