The Department of Defense has launched an internal investigation into recent leaks of classified and sensitive information, following multiple unauthorized disclosures to legacy media outlets in recent weeks.
The move was announced over the weekend after high-level reporting revealed details about Pentagon activities and meetings, including a visit from Elon Musk.
The investigation was ordered through a memo issued by Pentagon Chief of Staff Joe Kasper, dated March 21.
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In the memo, Kasper directed the Director of Defense Intelligence to lead the inquiry. The memo also confirmed that polygraph examinations will be conducted “in accordance with applicable law and policy.”
“This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense.
The report will include a complete record of unauthorized disclosures within the Department of Defense and recommendations to improve such efforts,” Kasper wrote.
“I expect to be informed immediately if this effort results in information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure, and that such information will be referred to the appropriate criminal law enforcement entity for criminal prosecution.”
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The announcement followed a report published Thursday by The New York Times, which claimed Elon Musk would be receiving a classified briefing at the Pentagon on potential U.S. military operations involving China.
Musk did in fact visit the Pentagon on Friday, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell, and President Donald Trump all denied that any classified briefing occurred.
The Times report claimed the meeting would take place not in Hegseth’s office but in “the Tank,” the secure conference room where the Pentagon’s most sensitive meetings are held.
In response, the Department of Defense released photographs showing the meeting was held in Secretary Hegseth’s office, directly contradicting the claim.
The Times report is the latest in a string of leaks. Prior to the Musk story, both NBC News and CNN published content based on a classified memo from Secretary Hegseth to senior military and defense officials.
That memo reportedly laid out interim policy guidance and national security priorities for the Department of Defense.
Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the launch of the investigation on Saturday through a post on X.
“For too long, instances of unauthorized disclosures of national security information have gone uninvestigated at the DoD,” Parnell said.
“@SecDef is committed to aggressively pursuing parties responsible for any leaks and will refer them to law enforcement for criminal prosecution. Efforts to subvert @POTUS command of our Armed Forces, to endanger the lives of our warfighters, or to harm our national security will not be tolerated. ACCOUNTABILITY IS BACK.”
For too long, instances of unauthorized disclosures of national security information have gone uninvestigated at the DoD. @SecDef is committed to aggressively pursuing parties responsible for any leaks and will refer them to law enforcement for criminal prosecution. Efforts to…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) March 22, 2025
The investigation will examine both recent and historical cases of unauthorized disclosures and is expected to produce a final report with recommendations for preventing future leaks.
The Department of Defense has not provided a specific timeline for the report’s completion.
As of Monday, no individuals have been publicly named or charged in connection with the leaks.
The Pentagon has not confirmed whether the leak involving Musk’s visit or the leaked memo from Secretary Hegseth is the starting point for the investigation or part of a broader review.
The Department of Defense has reiterated that unauthorized disclosures of classified material pose a direct threat to national security and the safety of U.S. personnel.
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