US defense secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly shared sensitive information about American military operations in Yemen in a second private Signal group, this time with close personal contacts including his wife, brother, and personal lawyer, The New York Times reported Sunday.
The group chat, reportedly created by Hegseth in January before his confirmation as defense secretary, included his wife Jennifer — a journalist and former Fox News producer — his brother Phil, and attorney Tim Parlatore, who also holds a Pentagon role and continues to serve as Hegseth’s personal lawyer.
According to the Times, Hegseth disclosed details of the March 15 air strikes on Yemen, including “flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis.”
This marks the second such incident involving Hegseth. Last month, The Atlantic revealed its editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg had been inadvertently included in a separate Signal chat about the same operation — that group had been created by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The earlier revelation triggered a political uproar, prompting the Pentagon’s Inspector General to launch an ongoing probe. President Donald Trump’s administration has so far resisted calls for high-level dismissals. Trump has pinned the blame for the earlier leak on Waltz but defended the outcome of the air raids on the Yemeni rebels.
In the wake of the leaks, three senior Pentagon officials — deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, Senior Advisor Dan Caldwell, and Colin Carroll — were placed on leave pending investigations into unspecified leaks.
The trio issued a joint statement on Sunday, alleging they had been wrongfully targeted. “At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with,” they said.
“While this experience has been unconscionable, we remain supportive of the Trump-Vance Administration’s mission to make the Pentagon great again and achieve peace through strength.”
The first Signal controversy centred on the accidental inclusion of The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief in a secure chat that shared details of a pending bombing mission in Yemen. Participants in that chat included high-profile figures such as Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, with some reportedly engaging from international locations.
In response to the fallout, Hegseth denied any wrongdoing, stating, “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” Gabbard echoed his stance during a Senate hearing, maintaining that no war strategies were exchanged inappropriately.
