NewsPentagon advisors Caldwell and Selnick suspended amid leak probe

Pentagon advisors Caldwell and Selnick suspended amid leak probe

Dan Caldwell, a close collaborator of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has been relieved of his duties and placed on leave. This decision results from an investigation into leaks of information to the media.

Colleague of Hegseth removed. Investigation into information leak ongoing.
Colleague of Hegseth removed. Investigation into information leak ongoing.
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Kamila Gurgul

What do you need to know?

  • Dan Caldwell, an advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has been relieved of his duties and placed on administrative leave due to suspicions of leaking information to the media.
  • The investigation was initiated by Joe Kasper, the Chief of Staff of the Department of Defense, following unauthorized disclosures of national security information.
  • Darin Selnick, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Pentagon, was also suspended in connection with these events.

Why was Dan Caldwell relieved?

Dan Caldwell, a close collaborator of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has been relieved of his duties and placed on administrative leave. This decision results from an investigation concerning information leaks to the media related to the Department of Defense. The investigation is ongoing, and its details are classified.

What are the consequences of the information leak?

The investigation was initiated by Joe Kasper, the Chief of Staff of the Department of Defense, who, in an official memo dated March 21, pointed out the recent "unauthorized disclosure" of national security information. The memo also mentioned the potential use of polygraph tests during the investigation. However, it is not clear whether Dan Caldwell underwent such a test.

What's next for the investigation?

Joe Kasper expects to be promptly informed of the investigation results to help identify the individual responsible for the information leak. If guilt is confirmed, the matter will be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agencies to initiate criminal proceedings. The decision to place Caldwell on administrative leave is unrelated to the wave of dismissals in the administration.

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