BREAKING: Secretary Of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Top Adviser Placed On Leave Over Leak Probe

A top adviser to Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has been placed on administrative leave in connection to a leak investigation.

On Tuesday, Dan Caldwell was escorted out of the Pentagon and was revoked security access to the Pentagon after being investigated over potentially leaking of sensitive information.

The move by teh Pentagon comes as the Trump admin is cracking down on leaks within the Dpeartment fo defense and U.S. agencies.

BREAKING: Pete Hegseth’s top adviser Dan Caldwell was escorted out of the Pentagon earlier today for unauthorized disclosure of classified information.

He was identified in a leaks probe at the Department of Defense. Good. pic.twitter.com/vVdHX4ap62

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) April 15, 2025

Per Politico:

The Pentagon placed a top adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth under administrative leave Tuesday after a probe into potential leaks of sensitive information, according to a defense official.

Dan Caldwell was escorted out of the Pentagon by security officers and had his building access suspended pending further investigation, according to the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

His suspension comes as the Trump administration seeks to root out leaks, including at the Defense Department. A March memo signed by Hegseth’s chief of staff asked the Pentagon’s director for defense intelligence to look into unauthorized disclosures and approved the use of polygraphs.

Reuters first reported Caldwell’s removal.

Caldwell, a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War who previously worked at the right-leaning Defense Priorities think tank, had a key role in advising the Pentagon on Ukraine.

🚨BREAKING: Dan Caldwell, a top adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been escorted out of the Pentagon after being identified in an investigation into internal leaks. pic.twitter.com/iNm3fiRtSw

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 15, 2025

Per ABC News:

Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on administrative leave as part of a leak investigation, a U.S. official told ABC News on Tuesday.

Caldwell is a longtime adviser to Hegseth, long before he was named to be the secretary of defense, and was placed on leave following an “unauthorized disclosure,” Reuters reported.

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On March 21, Joe Kasper, the Defense Department’s chief of staff, directed the “Director for Defense Intelligence (Counterintelligence, Law Enforcement, and Security) to support OSD in leading an investigation into unauthorized disclosures of sensitive and classified information across the Department of Defense.”

That memo authorized the use of polygraphs that will be inline with “applicable law and policy” for an investigation that he said would begin immediately.

It is unclear if Caldwell underwent a polygraph.