Several of President Donald Trump's top administration officials have claimed while speaking to the House and Senate that there was no "secret" information being discussed in the Signal chat that included a reporter.
But according to the Pentagon’s independent watchdog, that is not true, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The information that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put into the Signal chat came from "a classified email labeled 'SECRET/NOFORN,'" the Post said, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the Department of Defense website, “NOFORN” means "information may not be disseminated in any form to foreign governments, foreign nationals, foreign or international organizations, or non-U.S. citizens."
The secret email containing the strike plans for Yemen was shared with more than a dozen defense officials by Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, who oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East. They were then posted in the unclassified group chats from Hegseth on March 15, before the bombing campaign began, the sources said.
When Kurilla sent the message, it was over a classified system using a "Secret Internet Protocol Router Network" or SIPRNet, confirmed by four sources. It follows government regulations for disseminating messages.
The most recent denial came from National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, who testified before the Senate, "There was no classified information exchanged."
“The Department stands behind its previous statements: no classified information was shared via Signal,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement. “As we’ve said repeatedly, nobody was texting war plans and the success of the Department’s recent operations — from Operation Rough Rider to Operation Midnight Hammer — are proof that our operational security and discipline are top notch.”