Third Pentagon official put on leave amid leak investigation
Share and Follow

A third top Pentagon official has been put on leave amid an investigation into leaks at the Department of Defense. 

The most recent official that might be involved in the investigation is Colin Carroll, who is the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg. Various news sources revealed this information on Wednesday.

Carroll’s suspension comes after the removal of Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, the deputy chief of staff to the Pentagon chief, from their positions on Tuesday.

“We can confirm that Mr. Carroll, Mr. Caldwell, and Mr. Selnick have been put on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing,” a defense official informed The Post.

Caldwell was put on administrative leave for “an unauthorized disclosure,” a Pentagon official said Tuesday. 

Selnick had been under investigation in the same leak probe that implicated Caldwell, according to reports. 

Both men were escorted out of the Pentagon by security.

The defense official on Wednesday would not say whether Carroll’s suspension was related to the leak probe. 

The suspensions come less than a month after Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, ordered the director of defense intelligence (counterintelligence, law enforcement, and security) to assist in a probe into “unauthorized disclosures of sensitive and classified information across the Department of Defense.”

“Recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications with principals within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) demand immediate and thorough investigation,” Kasper wrote in the March 21 memo.  

The directive noted that polygraph tests could be administered “in accordance with applicable law and policy” as part of the hunt for the leakers. 

It’s unclear whether any of the suspended officials were subjected to a polygraph test. 

A report including a “complete record of unauthorized disclosures within the Department of Defense and recommendations to improve such efforts” is expected to be delivered to Hegseth at the end of the investigation.  

“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,” Kasper wrote. 

It’s not yet known whether any of the suspended individuals could face criminal charges. 

The leaks under investigation include disclosures about operational plans for the Panama Canal, carrier movements in the Red Sea, Elon Musk’s visit to the Pentagon last month and the March pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a US official told Politico.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Conner Smith charged after fatal collision with pedestrian

Conner Smith faces charges following a car accident that resulted in a pedestrian’s death

Country star Conner Smith has been charged after he struck and killed…
Fuel switches were cut off before Air India plane crashed, preliminary report says

Initial report suggests fuel switches were turned off before Air India plane crashed

Fuel switches were cut off on the Air India plane that crashed…
NFL bettor places $25K on this 100-1 long shot to win Super Bowl

A person bets $25,000 on a team that is a 100-1 underdog to win the Super Bowl in NFL.

Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission…
Are YOU guilty of this irritatingly common vile habit?

Do You Have This Annoyingly Common Bad Habit?

There are some women who possess the kind of effortless elegance and…
Search for flood victims — and answers — continues in central Texas

Efforts persist in central Texas to find flood survivors and solutions

() The search for victims continues in central Texas as residents work…
Aaron Judge’s game-ending sac fly leads Yankees to stunning comeback win over Mariners

Aaron Judge’s scoring sacrifice fly secures Yankees’ impressive rally victory against Mariners

The Yankees avoided being on the wrong side of history and then…
Trump's 'alpha-male' ambassador nominee who is terrifying US allies

US allies are scared of Trump’s ambassador nominee known for displaying dominant behavior

President Donald Trump has nominated self-professed ‘alpha male’ influencer Nick Adams to serve…
Conflicting officials, social posts leave evacuation delay questions in Kerr County flooding

Navigating the Delays: Unraveling Confusion Surrounding Kerr County Flooding Evacuation

KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Social media posts piece together a timeline…