Defense & National Security

Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2025)— Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to Steven Stebbins, Acting Inspector General at the Department of Defense (DoD), and Tamara A. Johnson, Principal Deputy Inspector General at the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, underscoring the need for an immediate investigation into the Pentagon’s and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s irresponsible and continued use of insecure platforms and personal devices to share sensitive attack plans, and his disclosure of extremely sensitive national security secrets to persons unauthorized to receive such information.

Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2025)— Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters to former Department of Defense (DoD) Senior Advisor Dan Caldwell, DoD Secretary Hegseth’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick, former Chief of Staff to the Deputy Defense Secretary Colin Carroll, former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense Joe Kasper, and former chief Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot requesting transcribed interviews as part of the Committee’s investigation into reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed highly sensitive, likely classified plans for a military operation in Yemen on the Signal messaging application and on his personal device. 

Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2025)—Today, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch led Committee Democrats in introducing a Resolution of Inquiry to investigate the Trump Administration’s illegal use of unsanctioned, insecure communications services and platforms for national security duties.

Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2025)— Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Acting General Counsel Charles L. Young III requesting documents, information, and answers as to how DOD is ensuring Elon Musk is not using his position as a Special Government Employee (SGE) to enrich himself or his companies in violation of federal ethics rules. 

Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2025)—The Department of Defense (DoD) Acting Inspector General Stebbins has informed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that the DoD Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will be investigating Defense Secretary Hegseth’s use of Signal following calls from Ranking Member Gerald E. Connolly and the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2025)— Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters to Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard requesting documents and information regarding the Trump Administration officials’ violation of federal law by failing to preserve the communications exchanged in the now-infamous March 15, 2025, Signal chat that included likely classified national security information. 

Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2025)— Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Military and Foreign Affairs, led Subcommittee Democrats in rebuking the Trump Administration’s use of an insecure phone app and personal Gmail accounts to share likely classified and highly sensitive information.