[And on Sunday it was revealed that the #Signal chat “Houthi PC small group chat” was not the only Signal group chat that divulged #military operational details prior to the attacks. #Hegseth set up another group chat that included his wife & brother called the “Defense | Team Huddle” chat where he shared the same info as in the “Houthi PC small group chat”.]

The dismissals & turmoil around the inspector general’s investigation have raised tensions & prompted talk of more resignations, according to current & former #defense officials.

Among those considering leaving are Mr. Kasper, #Hegseth’s chief of staff, who helped lead the leak investigation that resulted in his colleagues’ dismissal but has not been implicated in wrongdoing, according to senior defense officials.

Stebbins started the review in response to a #bipartisan request from Sen Roger Wicker of MS, the #Republican chair of the #ArmedServices Cmte, & the committee’s ranking #Democrat, Sen Jack Reed of RI.

Beyond the controversy of the #Signal chat, #Hegseth’s office has been shaken by the sudden firings of Caldwell, Selnick & Colin Carroll, all top advisers to the #defense secy. They were escorted from the #Pentagon last week after being accused of leaking sensitive info.

“The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the secretary of #defense & other #DoD personnel complied with DoD policies & procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business,” the acting inspector general, Steven Stebbins, said in a notification letter to #Hegseth.

It’s not clear whether Mr. Stebbins’s review has uncovered the #Signal chat that included Hegseth’s wife & other advisers.

Several of these staff members encouraged #Hegseth to move the work-related matters in the “Defense | Team Huddle” chat to his government phone. But Hegseth never made the transition, acc/to some of the people familiar w/the chat who spoke on condition of anonymity….

The #Pentagon’s acting inspector general announced earlier this month that he would review Hegseth’s Yemen strike disclosures on the #Signal chat that included top #Trump aides.

It was unclear how #Hegseth, a veteran & former Fox New host who before his confirmation in January had never previously served in a high-level government position, responded to those warnings.

Many of those in Hegseth’s inner circle during his first months in the #Pentagon were combat veterans w/deep experience in the #military but little firsthand knowledge of how the government operates at the highest levels.

One person familiar with the chat said #Hegseth’s aides had warned him a day or two before the Yemen strikes not to discuss such sensitive operational details in his Signal group chat, which, while encrypted, is not considered as secure as government channels typically used for discussing highly sensitive war planning and combat operations.