The Pentagon has put two Defense Department officials on administrative leave pending an investigation into an unauthorized disclosure, officials confirmed to CBS News. Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday, according to an official. Darin Selnick, the Pentagon’s deputy chief of staff, was also suspended as part of the same probe per two Defense Department officials
Hegseth’s chief of staff Joe Kasper issued a memo at the end of March directing the Pentagon to conduct an investigation into unauthorized disclosures and use lie detector tests if necessary.
Reuters was the first to report Caldwell was put on administrative leave amid an investigation. Politico was first to report Selnick being placed on leave.
A source familiar says Caldwell is accused of sharing classified documents with reporters.
Caldwell previously worked at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank, and Concerned Veterans for America, an organization Hegseth formerly led. Caldwell served in the Marine Corps and is a veteran of the Iraq War.
He was mentioned in The Atlantic article that showed text messages about strikes against the Houthis. According to The Atlantic, Hegseth designated him in the chat to represent the Defense Department.
The memo from Kasper was issued the same day the Pentagon and the White House vehemently denied reports that Elon Musk was visiting the Pentagon to receive a briefing on war plans in the event of a war with China. Although the Trump administration has said that Musk has no official role at the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has been heavily involved in the agency and has attended several of President Trump’s Cabinet meetings.
James LaPorta and
Jennifer Jacobs
contributed to this report.
