Pentagon shake-up: Top staff ousted after data leak drama
The chief of staff to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has been dismissed, reports Politico. This marks another change surrounding the Secretary of Defense following an information leak.
What do you need to know?
- A close associate of Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth has been dismissed from the position of chief of staff.
- Joe Kasper was to initiate an investigation into the leak of secret data.
- Several people from Hegseth's close circle were dismissed in the past week.
The Pentagon decided to dismiss Joe Kasper, chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
According to Politico, Kasper will receive a new position within the same department. His departure follows the dismissal of several close associates of Hegseth, including advisor Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and deputy secretary of defense chief of staff Colin Carroll.
With these changes, Hegseth is left without a chief of staff, his deputy, and a senior advisor.
"Complete chaos"
- There is a complete meltdown in the building, and this is really reflecting on the secretary’s leadership - a senior Pentagon official told Politico. - Pete Hegseth has surrounded himself with some people who don’t have his interests at heart - they added.
As Politico reports, Kasper requested an investigation into the data leak, which involved, among other things, military operational plans at the Panama Canal, a carrier in the Red Sea, and Elon Musk's visit to the Pentagon.
Sources indicate that Carroll and Selnick plan to file lawsuits, claiming their dismissals were unlawful.
Meanwhile, Democrats attack Hegseth, pointing to his inability to effectively manage the department. They also remind the public of his involvement in the scandal of discussing secret attack plans on the Signal app.
