Pentagon turmoil: Hegseth's chief of staff dismissed amid leak scandal
The chief of staff to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has been dismissed, reports Politico. This is yet another development surrounding the Secretary of Defence following an information leak.
What you need to know
- A close associate of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has been dismissed from the role of chief of staff.
- Joe Kasper was to spearhead an investigation into the leak of confidential information.
- In the past week, several individuals from Hegseth's inner circle have been dismissed.
The Pentagon has decided to dismiss Joe Kasper, the chief of staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.
According to Politico, Kasper will be given a new position within the same department. His departure comes after the dismissals of several of Hegseth's close associates, including advisor Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, the deputy secretary of defence chief of staff.
These changes mean Hegseth is now without a chief of staff, his deputy, and a senior advisor.
"Complete chaos"
- There is a complete meltdown in the building, and this is really reflecting on the secretary’s leadership - a senior Pentagon official told Politico. - Pete Hegseth has surrounded himself with some people who don’t have his interests at heart - they added.
As Politico reports, Kasper called for an investigation into the data leak, which involved, among other things, military operational plans in the Panama Canal region, an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, and Elon Musk's visit to the Pentagon.
Sources indicate that Carroll and Selnick plan to file lawsuits, contending that their dismissals were unlawful.
Meanwhile, Democrats are criticising Hegseth, pointing to his inability to effectively manage the department. They also cite his involvement in the scandal regarding the discussion of secret attack plans on the Signal app.
