Third senior Pentagon official suspended as leak investigation widens

The Pentagon has placed a third senior official on administrative leave as part of an expanding internal investigation into leaks of sensitive national security information, according to Politico.

Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, was suspended just one day after two other political appointees—Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick—were removed from the building and had their access suspended pending further review, according to Politico, citing sources.

The inquiry is probing several leaks, including operational plans involving the Panama Canal, intelligence pauses related to Ukraine, the movement of a second U.S. aircraft carrier toward the Red Sea, and a visit by Elon Musk to the Pentagon to discuss China, Politico reported.

Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was the first to be publicly identified. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Caldwell was escorted from the Pentagon and placed on leave after being flagged in connection with an unauthorized disclosure. While officials declined to say what information Caldwell may have leaked or to whom, they confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.

Caldwell has been a key figure in Hegseth’s circle and was previously cited in a leaked Signal group chat involving senior national security officials—a separate controversy dubbed “Signal Gate.” That chat, which included National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Vice President JD Vance, featured discussions about U.S. military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Caldwell was referred by Hegseth as the best staff point of contact for the National Security Council. Darin Selnick, the Pentagon’s deputy chief of staff, was also removed from the building Tuesday, according to Politico.

The White House has not commented publicly on any of the suspensions, and the Department of Defense has not released any additional information.