Three Pentagon aides were terminated on Friday following investigations into leaks of classified and sensitive information amid a week of turmoil for the department, Politico reported, citing anonymous sources.
The three people whose services were terminated include Senior advisor Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, the deputy chief of staff under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Colin Carroll, who is the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg.
The developments at Pentagon come amid a probe into two serious lapses.
One of them was the sharing of sensitive information in the group chat (where the officials inadvertently added a journalist) on the Signal app.
The other was the leak to the New York Times where unnamed officials revealed details of Elon Musk’s visit to the Pentagon where the billionaire was briefed about the US planning for any potential war with China.
Both US President Donald Trump and Hegseth had dismissed the report.
Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s chief of staff will also leave his role in the coming days for a new position at the agency, according to a senior administration official.
“There is a complete meltdown in the building, and this is really reflecting on the secretary’s leadership,” official sources were quoted as saying. “Pete Hegseth has surrounded himself with some people who don’t have his interests at heart.”
The changes will leave Hegseth without a chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, or senior adviser in his front office.
Kasper had requested an investigation into Pentagon leaks last month, which included military operational plans for the Panama Canal, a second carrier headed to the Red Sea, Musk’s visit, and a pause in the collection of intelligence for Ukraine.
Some at the Pentagon also started to notice a rivalry between Kasper and the fired advisers.
“Joe didn’t like those guys,” said one defense official. “They all have different styles. They just didn’t get along. It was a personality clash.”
Carroll and Selnick plan to sue for wrongful termination, sources told Politico.
Democrats have referred to the firings as another example of Hegseth’s inability to lead the agency.
“Everyone knew that Pete Hegseth did not possess the leadership qualities, background, or experience to be Secretary of Defense,” said Chris Meagher, who served as assistant Defense Secretary for Public Affairs during the Biden administration.
“Everything we’ve seen since then — the firing of several American heroes because of a perceived lack of loyalty, the sloppiness of Signalgate, the complete lack of transparency, and now several political staff being shown the door — has only confirmed he doesn’t have what it takes to lead.”
The terminations follow a purge of top military officers in February, including former Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti.
“There probably will be more chaos,” another unnamed official was quoted as saying. “It certainly reinforces the fear factor, and awareness that no one’s job is safe.”
