On Tuesday, April 15, two senior Pentagon officials were temporarily removed from their posts as part of an investigation into the leak of sensitive information, including U.S. attack plans targeting the Houthis in Yemen.
Dan Caldwell, senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, deputy chief of staff, were escorted out of the Pentagon and had their access revoked, according to anonymous sources. According to Reuters, Dan Caldwell was placed on administrative leave for the “unauthorized disclosure” of sensitive information.
However, it has not yet been confirmed whether Caldwell, a close and influential advisor to the defense secretary, was directly responsible for the leaks. The suspensions come as the Trump administration faces mounting criticism over the security of its military operations.
The scandal—dubbed “Signal Gate”—broke last month following the publication by The Atlantic of confidential exchanges between senior U.S. national security officials via the Signal messaging app. The leak revealed specific timelines and plans for operations against the Houthis in Yemen and prompted a broader investigation.
That inquiry now also covers other sensitive revelations reported by Politico, including military plans for the Panama Canal, Elon Musk’s controversial visit to the Pentagon, and the temporary suspension of intelligence gathering in Ukraine.