Pentagon Inspector General to Investigate Houthi-Linked Signal Chat

The Pentagon's Inspector General will investigate a Signal chat involving airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, officials announced Thursday. The inquiry was requested by the Senate Armed Services Committee following concerns over compliance with Defense Department policies and procedures for using commercial messaging apps for official business.

Audit findings will determine whether Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with policies and procedures, as well as review classification and records retention requirements. The Inspector General's review is expected to be completed before a briefing with the Senate Armed Services Committee.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz admitted to mistakenly including a journalist in the chat, taking responsibility for the mistake. However, subsequent publication of the text messages led to increased scrutiny from lawmakers over how sensitive national security information is discussed.

According to Politico, Waltz and his team have used Signal in the past to coordinate at least 20 chats on foreign policy issues in Ukraine, the Middle East, China, and other countries. It remains unclear whether those chats involved classified information.