Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is taking aggressive action to deliver the Pentagon’s first clean audit ever.
As you may or may not know, the Pentagon has failed all of its last eight reviews.
This is absolutely unacceptable — so, in response, the Department of War is launching a new, major initiative to fix its ongoing audit failures.
Secretary Hegseth has appointed acting Comptroller Jay Hurst to lead the charge.
Joint Task Force Audit will work with a top accounting firm and utilize artificial intelligence as a tool towards the end goal of securing a clean audit by 2028.
Hegseth explained further in a video message, which you can watch right here:
Under the previous administration, the Department of Defense’s financial reporting was a disaster — and had been for far too long.
That ends today—the WAR DEPARTMENT will deliver a clean audit for our 2028 financial statements. pic.twitter.com/L5LEewaP7l
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) April 28, 2026
This is long overdue!
It’s absolutely crazy that the Pentagon has never been able to achieve a clean audit.
Ever since Congress mandated yearly audits of federal agencies during President Trump’s first term, the Pentagon has never passed. It’s the only government agency never to do so.
By the way, the Pentagon has already failed its audit this year, once again.
The Military Times reported further on that:
The Pentagon failed its financial audit for the eighth consecutive year, the Defense Department said Friday, highlighting the ongoing systemic challenge the nation’s largest federal agency faces in fully accounting for its assets.
The department has received a failing grade on every audit since Congress mandated annual reviews beginning in 2018, and is the only one of the government’s 24 major agencies never to pass.
ADVERTISEMENTIn the Department of Defense Agency Financial Report for fiscal year 2025, auditors identified 26 material weaknesses and two significant deficiencies in the department’s financial reporting.
Among the shortcomings were omissions in the Joint Strike Fighter Program, the Pentagon’s multifaceted effort to develop an affordable strike aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and allied nations.
Auditors determined the Pentagon failed to report assets in the program’s Global Spares Pool, and did not accurately record the property.
“The DOD could not provide or obtain accurate and reliable data to verify the existence, completeness or value of its Global Spares Pool assets for the Joint Strike Fighter Program,” according to the report. “As a result, the omission of the Joint Strike Fighter Program Global Spares Pool assets resulted in a material misstatement on the Agency-Wide Financial Statements.”
It’s going to take some serious work to remedy this outrageous issue.
We the people deserve to know where every last dollar of our taxes are going — especially at the Pentagon!
Take a look at some of these responses:
It’s about time – you should find as much fraud and abuse as in any other government department.
— Greg Guimont (@gregguimont) April 29, 2026
Thank you. It was shocking to learn that audits of Government Departments have not had and passed audits. CITIZENS want to know that money is spent wisely. Please help end the FRAUD.
— Susan Daltuva (@SuDalt1) April 29, 2026
At least someone in this administration gets it. Can’t say that for all your colleagues! Thanks Pete, proud of you 🇺🇸
— Citygirl (@citygirl_liz) April 29, 2026
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