Top Pentagon Officials Placed On Leave Amid Leak Investigation

The Pentagon has placed two high-ranking political appointees on administrative leave amid an ongoing investigation into potential leaks of sensitive information at the Department of Defense, according to three defense officials.

Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted from the Pentagon by security officers on Tuesday and had his building access revoked, two officials confirmed, according to an exclusive report by Reuters.

Darin Selnick, the Pentagon's deputy chief of staff, was also suspended in connection with the same probe and was similarly escorted out, one of the officials said.

The investigation reportedly involves several serious leaks, including military operational plans for the Panama Canal, the deployment of a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Red Sea, a controversial visit by Elon Musk to the Pentagon, and the temporary halt of intelligence collection for Ukraine, according to one of the officials, reported Politico.

Caldwell was placed on leave specifically for "an unauthorized disclosure," the official added. However, details about the nature of the alleged leak — including whether the information was shared with a journalist or another individual — were not provided. The investigation remains active.

Crackdown On Unauthorized Disclosures

The suspensions are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on internal leaks, particularly within the Defense Department. In March, a memo signed by Defense Secretary Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, called on the Pentagon's intelligence director to investigate recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information.

The memo, dated March 21, authorized the use of polygraph examinations as part of the inquiry, though it is unclear whether Caldwell underwent one.

Caldwell's role gained renewed attention following a leaked Signal chat that inadvertently included a journalist. In the messages, Hegseth identified Caldwell as the Pentagon's key point of contact for coordinating U.S. military strikes in Yemen.

A Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, Caldwell attracted attention in Washington for his past views, which critics labeled as isolationist, but supporters argued it were aimed at recalibrating America's defense priorities.

Known for his skepticism toward expansive military engagements, Caldwell had previously remarked that the U.S. might have been better off if its troops had just stayed home.

"I think the Iraq war was a monstrous crime," Caldwell told the Financial Times in December 2024.

Caldwell previously worked at the Defense Priorities think tank and has been a central figure advising the Pentagon on Ukraine.

Selnick's Background

Darin Selnick, also implicated in the investigation, had temporarily performed the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for personnel and readiness earlier this year. He previously served in the Department of Veterans Affairs and the White House during the first Trump administration. A former senior adviser to Concerned Veterans for America, an advocacy group once led by Hegseth, Selnick brought significant experience in veteran affairs and personnel policy to the Pentagon.

Separate From Recent Firings

The suspension of Caldwell and Selnick comes amid a broader shakeup at the Pentagon since Hegseth assumed office in January. The leadership changes have included the removal of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Navy's top admiral, the head of U.S. Cyber Command, and the military lawyers.