Dan Caldwell, a prominent adviser who previously worked with Pete Hegseth, was placed on administrative leave and removed from the Pentagon on Tuesday. This action came on the heels of his being found out during an unrelated and apparently continuing investigation into leaks for the defense department.
Caldwell, an Afghan War veteran and Marine Corps vet, became an important adviser to Hegseth. He distinguished himself in what was arguably his most challenging role—the main staff point of contact for the National Security Council. He cut his teeth on that at Concerned Veterans for America. There, he continued to work directly with Hegseth before joining his team at the Pentagon.
The decision to place Caldwell on leave stems from his involvement in a leaked Signal chat, which was published by The Atlantic last month. This incident brought to light questions and criticism about the security of sensitive information within the department. According to news reports, Caldwell was walked out of the Pentagon as one of the disciplinary steps taken as a result of that investigation.
According to a military source, Caldwell played a major role in major operations including militarily striking against Houthis in Yemen. His contributions to Hegseth’s defense team have already been praised. Now these very same allegations threaten to end his career in the department.
Joe Kasper, a source close to the investigation, emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, “I expect to be informed immediately if this effort results in information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure, and that such information will be referred to the appropriate criminal law enforcement entity for criminal prosecution.”
The criminal investigation into Caldwell’s actions is ongoing, said a senior official from within the administration. Our inquiry aims to shed light on the situation that caused the disclosure of information that placed Caldwell on administrative leave.