In a significant turn of events at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper, is stepping down amid ongoing investigations into leaks. This development comes on the heels of a broader shakeup prompted by an unauthorized disclosure investigation.
Earlier this week, Dan Caldwell, an advisor to Defense Secretary Hegseth, was placed on leave due to revelations of leaking sensitive information. Caldwell, also associated with the Mike Waltz Houthi Signal chat group, was escorted out of the Pentagon, as reported by Reuters. You can read more about it in their full article.
In addition, Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, were also put on leave, intensifying the scrutiny within the department.
Fox News reports that Joe Kasper had a significant conflict with the three men involved, describing it as a “deep vendetta.” Despite this, Kasper played a pivotal role in initiating the probe into the leaks. A Pentagon official clarified to Fox News, “This is not about interpersonal conflict. There is evidence of leaking. This is about unauthorized disclosures, up to and including classified information.” The full report is available here.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, 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.
Political turbulence continues as Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll have all been placed on leave during this ongoing investigation. Learn more from Politico’s detailed article.
