Pentagon fires three alleged leakers, fourth official is reassigned

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seen in a photo at a recent event, has made the final decision on the firings of three Department of Defense officials and the reassignment of another after an internal investigation into alleged leaks of sensitive information. The ousted officials include Hegseth’s former senior adviser Dan Caldwell and deputy chief of staff Dan Selnick, as well as Colin Carroll, the chief of staff for Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, who was placed on administrative leave. Hegseth’s chief of staff Joe Kaspar is also leaving but will be reassigned to a new position. Additional staffing changes are being considered but will require Hegseth’s approval before becoming official. The internal investigation, which involved polygraph tests, was initiated in response to leaks about various sensitive topics, including military plans and classified meetings. Some of the fired officials have sought legal representation to challenge their dismissals. Critics have raised concerns about Hegseth’s leadership abilities in light of these developments.