Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released the following statement after the Department of Defense Inspector General released the findings of their investigation into Secretary Pete Hegseth’s handling of classified information. Following letters from Oversight Committee Democrats and bipartisan requests from the Armed Services Committee, the independent Department of Defense Office of Inspector General investigated Hegseth’s decision to share classified operational information about U.S. strikes in Yemen via a Signal group chat which included a reporter in March 2025.
“Oversight Democrats fought for an independent investigation of Secretary Hegseth's reckless misconduct, and the results are clear. The Secretary’s actions posed potential risks to U.S. pilots and aircraft, jeopardizing the mission. Hegseth is unqualified, unfit, and unacceptable as Secretary. He is a threat to our national security and he must resign immediately,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.