In second Signal chat, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent Yemen strike details to wife, brother

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared classified details about US military strikes in Yemen via a private Signal group chat that included his wife and brother, according to a New York Times report.

The revelation comes on the heels of claims by The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who previously said he was added to a Signal group involving top US security officials discussing operations in Yemen.

Classified flight schedules shared

The NYT report states that Hegseth used a second Signal chat to share flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets involved in the strikes against Houthi targets. The message was reportedly sent on March 15. The recipients included his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, brother Phil Hegseth, and his personal attorney, Tim Parlatore.

Civilian access raises security concerns

Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer, is not employed by the Defense Department. Though not an official, her inclusion in a group with such sensitive information raises concerns.

Other members with ties to Pentagon

Phil Hegseth and Tim Parlatore reportedly hold positions within the Pentagon, though their access to the type of detailed operational data shared by Hegseth has not been officially confirmed.

The revelation follows warnings about Hegseth’s judgment from key advisers, including ex-press secretary John Ullyot and three senior officials he fired last week: Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll.

“It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon. From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership,” his former press secretary, John Ullyot, said in a statement obtained by CNN.

Same strike plans sent to Atlantic Editor, family: Report

The news report citing people with knowledge of the chat said that the information Pete Hegseth shared on Signal was the same operational details he had shared earlier in another Signal chat, which mistakenly included The Atlantic’s editor.

Hegseth's "Defense | Team Huddle" Signal group

According to the report, Pete Hegseth created the private Signal group “Defense | Team Huddle” before his confirmation as Defense Secretary, and it reportedly included several private individuals.

In contrast, a separate Signal chat set up by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was intended for top Trump officials coordinating military operations.

Hegseth adviser's removal amid leak investigation

Meanwhile, just days earlier, Hegseth’s senior adviser Dan Caldwell was sent on leave following his identification in a Pentagon leak investigation within the Department of Defense, Reuters reported. A March 21 memo signed by Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, called for a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications.”