The Department of Defense has placed two senior officials on administrative leave as part of an ongoing investigation into unauthorized disclosure of information.
Dan Caldwell, who serves as senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday. Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick was also suspended as part of the same investigation, according to Defense Department officials.
The actions follow a March directive from Hegseth's chief of staff Joe Kasper calling for an investigation into unauthorized disclosures, including the possible use of lie detector tests.
Sources indicate Caldwell is accused of sharing classified documents with members of the media. He previously worked at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank, and Concerned Veterans for America, an organization formerly led by Secretary Hegseth. Caldwell, an Iraq War veteran, served in the Marine Corps.
His name appeared in recent media coverage showing text messages about military strikes against the Houthis, where he was designated as the Defense Department representative in communications. This situation is reminiscent of a previous extraordinary security breach involving leaked military plans against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The investigation and suspensions come amid heightened scrutiny of information security at the Pentagon. Additional personnel actions are under consideration as the probe continues, according to sources familiar with internal discussions.
The timing coincides with separate controversies, including the Pentagon's recent denial of reports that Elon Musk was receiving briefings about potential war scenarios involving China.
Defense Department officials have not provided additional details about the scope or expected duration of the investigation into the unauthorized disclosures.