U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen on Wednesday renewed his call for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's ouster, amid a damaging report forthcoming from the Pentagon's own watchdog.
The Pentagon Inspector General has determined that Hegseth risked the safety of U.S. servicemembers by sharing sensitive military information on the Signal messaging app, according to a source who has reviewed the IG's report, NPR reported. The report is expected to be released as early as Thursday.
Sorensen, a Democrat who represents parts of Bloomington-Normal and Greater Peoria, said Hegseth should resign or be fired.
“Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is dangerously unqualified to lead our brave men and women serving in uniform,” Sorensen said in a statement. “His recklessness in sending highly classified war plans over an unsecured messaging platform put our troops in danger. If anyone else had dared do this, they would’ve been fired long ago. As a member of the House Armed Services [Committee], I’m calling on Secretary Hegseth to resign now or be fired by the Commander-in-Chief.”
Sorensen previously called on Hegseth to resign in April after a journalist for The Atlantic revealed that he had been added to a chat on the encrypted messaging app in which Hegseth and other top officials were discussing plans for U.S. airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Report details
A summary of the inspector general's report provided to NPR finds that had a foreign adversary intercepted the intelligence discussed in the chat, it would have endangered both U.S. servicemembers and the mission at large.
The report concludes that Hegseth, who sent the information about targets, timing and aircraft to two Signal groups, including his wife and brother, violated Pentagon policies about using personal phones for official business. Hegseth would not sit for an interview with investigators, the report said, and would only provide a written response.
In his response, Hegseth stated that he was able to declassify information; the inspector general did not determine whether Hegseth had declassified information in the chat by the time it was shared, but acknowledged that, as secretary of defense, he had the authority to do so.
Hegseth also told the inspector general that he believed the investigation was political and that he lacked faith in Stebbins, according to the source.
In a statement, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the findings absolved Hegseth of any wrongdoing.
"The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along — no classified information was shared. This matter is resolved, and the case is closed," Parnell said.
In a separate statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Trump's national security team and its handling of sensitive information.
"This review affirms what the Administration has said from the beginning — no classified information was leaked, and operational security was not compromised," Leavitt said.
