In a striking move, Secretary Pete Hegseth has placed Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick on administrative leave, a decision that stems from an ongoing investigation into unauthorized leaks of sensitive military information.
Selnick, an Air Force veteran and former senior adviser to Concerned Veterans for America, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday, as reported by Politico.
According to Politico’s coverage:
Darin Selnick, the Pentagon’s deputy chief of staff, has been suspended as part of the same investigation and was escorted out of the building, one official disclosed.
The inquiry into the leaks encompasses military operational plans related to the Panama Canal, the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Red Sea, the controversial visit of Elon Musk to the Pentagon, and the halting of intelligence collection directed towards Ukraine, another official noted.
While Reuters initially reported the removal of Caldwell, Selnick’s exit and the specifics surrounding the leaks have not been disclosed prior to this.
This wave of suspensions aligns with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to eliminate leaks, particularly at the Defense Department. A memo circulated in March by Hegseth’s chief of staff directed the Pentagon’s director for defense intelligence to investigate unauthorized disclosures, including the implementation of polygraph tests.
Interestingly, Selnick’s suspension follows a similar action taken against Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Hegseth, earlier the same day.
For further details:
BREAKING: Top Hegseth Advisor Escorted Out of Pentagon For Leaking – Dan Caldwell Was Also Part of the Mike Waltz Houthi Chat Group