The Pentagon saw some unexpected drama on Tuesday as Dan Caldwell, a senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted out of the building and placed on administrative leave over what officials are calling an “unauthorized disclosure.” In plain English? A leak. And not just any leak—one significant enough to get a top advisor marched out of the most secure building in America.
Scoop! Dan Caldwell, a senior advisor to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on administrative leave for an "unauthorized disclosure," a U.S. official says.
Story coming.
This comes after a March 21 memo ordering a Pentagon investigation into leaks ordered by…
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 15, 2025
According to Reuters, Caldwell’s removal is tied to an ongoing internal investigation that began with a March 21 memo from Hegseth’s chief of staff, launching a probe into recent leaks within the Department of Defense. While details on what exactly was leaked remain classified or undisclosed (shocker), Pentagon insiders are saying this is serious—and still unfolding.
NEW: Dan Caldwell, top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, escorted out of the Pentagon after being identified in leaks probe – REU pic.twitter.com/yM22n6MS0E
— BNO News (@BNONews) April 15, 2025
“The investigation remains ongoing,” one anonymous U.S. official told Reuters, confirming the incident but declining to elaborate further.
Caldwell is no stranger to conservative media. Years ago, he was interviewed by Pete Hegseth himself on Fox News, where both men championed a bold, America First foreign policy and railed against endless wars and bloated defense bureaucracies. So it’s a bit ironic that the same Caldwell is now at the center of what may be a politically embarrassing moment for the Hegseth-led Pentagon.
Caldwell was also reportedly involved in the Mike Waltz Houthi Signal chat group—a private channel used by certain defense insiders and congressional aides to share information and updates about developments in the Middle East, particularly involving Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. No confirmation yet on whether Caldwell’s leak involved that group, but if it did, it would raise major national security questions.
Of course, the Biden-era Pentagon would’ve tried to bury something like this until it exploded on Twitter. But Hegseth has taken a radically different approach since assuming leadership—transparency, accountability, and an insistence that leakers, no matter how senior, face consequences.
If the leak involved classified intel or sensitive troop movement information, it could not only compromise missions abroad but also signal ongoing problems with operational security and internal loyalty at the Department of Defense.
Caldwell’s future is now in limbo, and the rest of Washington will be watching closely to see how this plays out—and whether Hegseth’s no-nonsense approach to Pentagon leaks will result in actual accountability or more of the same swampy cover-ups.