One of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s advisers has been placed on leave after he was identified as an alleged leaker in a probe into the leaks in the Department of Defense (DOD).
Dan Caldwell was escorted out of the Pentagon on the morning of April 15, with reports from Reuters indicating that Caldwell was placed on leave over “an unauthorized disclosure,” according to an anonymous source.
Caldwell reportedly played a pivotal role in planning the U.S. strikes on Yemen, as Newsmax reported that “Hegseth named Caldwell as the best staff point of contact for the National Security Council as it prepared for the launch of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.” It is unclear whether Caldwell leaked any of the information he obtained during the operation.
The DOD has confirmed to Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan that Caldwell being placed on administrative leave was related to the ongoing investigations into leaks within the department.
“NEW: Defense Department official confirms to @realDailyWire that Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave related to an investigation into DOD leaks,” Olohan wrote in a post on X.
This news comes as numerous Trump administration officials have been investigating leaks within their respective departments, as President Donald Trump has learned from his first time in the White House, when his administration was plagued with leaks.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has reportedly been using polygraph testing to root out leakers with her department. “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security. We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant – we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin explained in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has also been investigating leaks inside the intelligence community. “Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people and will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable,” she explained in a statement.
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