Ключов съветник в Пентагона е изпратен в отпуск покрай разследване за теч на данни | Дневник

Key Points

Dan Caldwell, a leading advisor to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday following an investigation into a data leak within the department. The investigation is ongoing, and details about the nature of the alleged leak remain undisclosed.

Caldwell's Background and Views

• Caldwell has drawn attention for his isolationist views, criticized by some but defended by others as efforts to define the right size of America's defense priorities.
• A Marine veteran who served in Iraq, Caldwell previously stated that America would have been better off if US troops had stayed home.
• He expressed skepticism about US military aid to Ukraine and advocated for a US withdrawal from Europe.

While the exact nature of the leak is unclear, the investigation was triggered by a March 21 memorandum from Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, concerning recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information. The possibility of using a polygraph test was mentioned, but it’s unclear if Caldwell underwent one.

Context of the Investigation

The Trump administration aggressively pursued leak investigations, a stance embraced by Hegseth. Caldwell's administrative leave is separate from the wave of dismissals since Hegseth assumed his role in January. These dismissals include the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top admiral in the Navy, the head of US Cyber Command, and top US military lawyers. The dismissal of the US military representative on NATO’s Military Committee was also reported last week.