In a dramatic twist within the halls of the Pentagon, three aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been officially dismissed following a probe into unauthorized leaks. On Friday, news broke concerning the departure of Pete Hegseth’s Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper, amidst Pentagon turmoil linked to these leaks.
Earlier this week, Dan Caldwell, an advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was placed on leave due to his involvement in leaks. Notably part of the Mike Waltz Houthi Signal chat group, Caldwell was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday for what was termed an “unauthorized disclosure,” as reported by Reuters.
Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, were also placed on leave and removed from their positions. According to Politico, all three aides—Caldwell, Selnick, and Carroll—were officially terminated on Friday. In the aftermath, Carroll and Selnick intend to pursue legal action for wrongful termination, as reported by the magazine.
Fox News indicated that Joe Kasper allegedly held a “deep vendetta” against the trio. Kasper was pivotal in leading the investigation into these leaks reaching the media.
“This is not about interpersonal conflict,” a Pentagon official told Fox News. “There is evidence of leaking. This is about unauthorized disclosures, up to and including classified information.”
Politico reported:
Joe Kasper, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff, will leave his role in the coming days for a new position at the agency, according to a senior administration official, amid a week of turmoil for the Pentagon.
Senior adviser Dan Caldwell, Hegseth deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, were placed on leave this week in an ongoing leak probe. All three were terminated on Friday, according to three people familiar with the matter, who, like others, were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.
This recent series of events contributes to the ongoing upheaval within the Pentagon, which has been under scrutiny for various issues, including fallout from Hegseth’s own release of sensitive information in a Signal chat and a controversial department visit by Elon Musk.
All parties involved—Caldwell, Carroll, Selnick, and Kasper—have refrained from commenting on the situation. Carroll and Selnick have, however, declared their intent to challenge their dismissals legally. The Pentagon has not provided any comment in response to these developments.
