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Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pentagon probes examine key Hegseth allies
Two of the Pentagon's top investigative bodies are digging into a pair of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's close aides and their role in the controversy surrounding government use of the Signal app to discuss sensitive information, according to three people familiar with the probes. The Defense Department Inspector General's office first opened an investigation in early April into whether Hegseth violated the agency's standards for sharing classified information by using the commercial messaging app to discuss active attack plans in Yemen. As part of that probe, investigators are looking into whether senior Hegseth aide Ricky Buria helped the Pentagon chief set up an unsecured internet line that bypassed the agency's security protocols and allowed Hegseth to access Signal, according to the three people, all of whom were interviewed recently by officials about the situation. The Signal app is not approved for government use when discussing classified information because of security concerns. In a separate inquiry led by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, a federal law enforcement agency within the Pentagon, investigators are asking whether Buria could have been a source for leaks when he sat in on sensitive meetings as a military aide earlier this year and had access to Hegseth's devices, according to the three people. Investigators for the Air Force agency, known as OSI, also want to know whether the Pentagon chief's personal attorney, Tim Parlatore — who serves as a top DOD adviser — attended meetings beyond his clearance level where classified information was discussed, and his role investigating the leaks, the three people said. The focus of the DOD probes on the two top Hegseth aides has not been previously reported. The inquiries into the actions of Hegseth and his inner circle could further destabilize the Pentagon's top ranks after a spate of firings in a leak investigation left the Defense secretary without a chief of staff or a top policy adviser for months. The Air Force investigation began this spring. 'Ricky and Tim are some of the folks that they're zeroing in on as they try to get to the root of everything,' said one of the people familiar with the two probes. This person, like the others, was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive ongoing investigations. Buria didn't respond to a request for comment, while Parlatore declined to comment. The DOD IG declined to comment, citing longstanding policy not to talk publicly about the scope or timeline of oversight projects. The Air Force declined to discuss details about the probe. Buria, the top military aide who recently transitioned to a senior DOD civilian job, and Parlatore, Hegseth's longtime lawyer, have emerged as two of the Pentagon chief's most trusted allies. But officials have hinted that the administration's patience may be wearing thin from repeated missteps by Hegseth and his close allies— including catching much of Washington off guard on key policy decisions ranging from the freeze of Ukraine military aid to reviewing the AUKUS submarine deal. That Defense Department investigators have homed in on Buria and Parlatore also represents a possible step forward in a probe that has consumed the Pentagon for months. The Pentagon IG probe came after reports in The Atlantic that Hegseth in March had used Signal to discuss details of military operations in Yemen with top Trump administration officials. Questions the IG investigators have asked witnesses include, 'Who wrote the information attributed to the Secretary of Defense in The Atlantic regarding the 'Houthi PC Small Group' Signal chat?' and 'Please describe who was present with the Secretary of Defense on March 15, 2025,' the day he sent the messages, according to an email to potential witnesses ahead of interviews and obtained by POLITICO. The questions were first reported by the Associated Press. Investigators have asked about the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the Signal app, how extensively Hegseth used it and the veracity of messages reported by The Atlantic, according to the three people and the emails. The IG and OSI have also questioned witnesses about whether they were ever asked to delete Signal messages off their phones, according to two of the people, which could violate federal records laws, such as the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act. These may carry civil and administrative penalties. Officials can also be sentenced to jail time and forced to pay fines if they are found guilty of removing classified information or destroying government records under similar laws. One of the people said that OSI investigators asked by name whether Buria or Parlatore made those requests. The Pentagon did not answer questions about probes into Hegseth or his allies at the Defense Department, but it championed the Pentagon chief's resume. 'Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has successfully reoriented the Department of Defense to put the interests of America's Warfighters and America's taxpayers first, and it has never been better positioned to execute on its mission than it is today,' Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement. 'The success speaks for itself.' An Air Force spokesperson confirmed OSI is 'conducting an investigation into allegations of unauthorized disclosures' on behalf of Hegseth's office, but declined to comment on the specifics of the probe. One of the people with knowledge of the matter said the investigators have been talking to witnesses since late April. The investigations have intensified questions about Hegseth's leadership in the department, one of the people familiar with the probe said. POLITICO previously reported that Hegseth was deferring to U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla as planning for American military strikes against Iran ramped up last month. U.S. allies have also been caught off guard by the Pentagon's abrupt pause of some weapons shipments to Ukraine. Hegseth's closest allies maintain that he has played a key role in the strikes, pushing NATO allies to a 5 percent defense spending target, and boosting recruiting. 'None of this would have been possible without the complete unity and discipline of the OSD team and the vision and leadership of our commander-in-chief," Parnell said in the statement. Parlatore's presence in Hegseth's inner circle has raised questions about conflicts of interest, as he has been involved in multiple legal cases opposing the U.S. government, including defending retired four-star Adm. Robert Burke against charges of alleged corruption. Parlatore, who has said he doesn't market himself to clients as a Navy reservist or a Hegseth adviser, has dismissed the notion that his lawsuits represent an issue.
CNA
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Rubio impersonator using AI contacted foreign ministers, cable says
WASHINGTON :An individual using an artificially generated voice to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted three foreign ministers and two U.S. officials last month, pretending to be the top U.S. diplomat, according to a diplomatic cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday. In mid-June, the person contacted the ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress via the Signal messaging app and left voicemails for at least two of them, the cable said. In one instance, a text message was sent to invite the targeted person to communicate on Signal. "The actor likely aimed to manipulate targeted individuals using AI-generated text and voice messages with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts," the cable said. The Washington Post first reported the attempt. "The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter," a senior State Department official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department's cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents," the official added. The State Department cable, dated July 3, was sent to all diplomatic and consular posts and suggests that staff warn external partners about fake accounts and impersonations. "There is no direct cyber threat to the department from this campaign, but information shared with a third party could be exposed if targeted individuals are compromised," it said. Neither the cable nor the U.S. officials pointed to a suspected perpetrator, but the cable made reference to a second effort in April that was attributed to a Russia-linked hacker who conducted a phishing campaign targeting think tanks, Eastern European activists and dissidents and former State Department officials. In that attempt, the perpetrator copied a fake "@ email address on the messages as well as logos and branding used by State's Bureau of Diplomatic Technology, it said. "The actor demonstrated extensive knowledge of the department's naming conventions and internal documentation," it said. In that campaign, the person posed as a State Department official in messages sent to private Gmail accounts. The State Department said industry partners attributed that campaign to a cyber actor associated with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. The incident comes weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. federal authorities were investigating an effort to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
AI Marco Rubio impersonator ‘contacted US officials on Signal'
A catfish posing as Marco Rubio using an AI voice disguisercontacted senior government officials on the messaging app Signal. The imposter, who has not been identified by the authorities, sent voice and text messages using artificial intelligence technology (AI) to mimic the US secretary of state's voice and speech patterns, The Washington Post reported. They contacted a member of Congress, a US governor and three foreign ministers, seemingly with the goal of 'gaining access to information or accounts,' authorities said. Mr Rubio is the second member of Donald Trump's administration to be impersonated using AI, after a catfish pretending to be Susie Wiles, the chief of staff, contacted Republican lawmakers earlier this year. In June, Mr Rubio's impersonator created a Signal account with the name ' to contact foreign diplomats and politicians, according to a State Department cable. 'The actor left voicemails on Signal for at least two targeted individuals and in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal,' it reads. It is likely to renew concerns about the use of the app by senior members of Mr Trump's administration after national security figures accidentally leaked US military plans to a journalist in March. The State Department said it would 'carry out a thorough investigation and continue to implement safeguards to prevent this from happening in the future'. FBI investigation into Wiles AI catfish The FBI opened an investigation in May when a catfish using AI to pose as Ms Wiles, the US president's chief of staff, texted and called her contacts asking for cash. Ms Wiles privately told colleagues that her phone had been hacked by and mined for contacts. One Republican lawmaker said they had been asked to compile a list of people to be pardoned by Mr Trump, while another was asked for a cash transfer. Hany Farid, a professor specialising in digital forensics at the University of California Berkeley, said the catfish attempts did not need to be particularly sophisticated to succeed when coupled with AI software. 'This is precisely why you shouldn't use Signal or other insecure channels for official government business,' he told The Washington Post. In March, Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, accidentally leaked US military plans to bomb Houthi rebels in Yemen to the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg when he was accidentally added to a Signal chat by Mike Waltz, then the US national security adviser. Mr Waltz was sacked by Mr Trump in May, then nominated as US ambassador to the UN. His confirmation hearings will reportedly take place next week.
France 24
27-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Iran: escalation to ceasefire, ‘Daddy Trump', Bezos's Wedding Carnival.
So-called 'silent assassins', the B2 Spirit Bombers flew 18 hours from Missouri into Iranian airspace, to fire 14 of the world's most powerful bombs at the main enrichment site at Fordow and on Natanz. The overall attack involved 125 fighter jets, several strategic feints, and submarine fire too. Not a shot was fired in response. Complete and utter obliteration claimed President Trump. Iran hit back later at the US, with ballistic missiles targeting the American base at Qatar, though it telegraphed in advance. 24 hours later a ceasefire was agreed between Iran and Israel. Holding so far, after a questionable start, and Presidential outrage. It's been a week that's seen another high profile message leak on the Signal App. This time a private thank you note, a 'Dear Donald' sent by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, that said, 'Congratulations for your decisive actions in Iran, doing what no-one else dared and flying into another big success at The Hague, it was not easy, but we've got them all signed onto five per cent. Europe is going to pay in a BIG (capital letters) way, and it will be your win.' The leaker: President Trump of course, who published it on Truth Social ahead of the NATO summit. No harm done, said Rutte, the so-called Trump whisperer, who later went on to allude to him as Daddy. It's been a week that's seen thousands of Kenyans protesting against police brutality and government corruption in cities across the country. Security forces barricaded President William Rutto's office, as police fired water canon, tear gas, and reportedly live fire too, as they clashed with demonstrators in Nairobi. At least 16 people were killed. The protests marked a year since a grassroots movement first took to the streets of the capital, against the President's planned tax law, which spread nationwide after the deaths and disappearances of some of the demonstrators.
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Signal inquiry examines if Hegseth — or an aide — shared attack plans
The Defense Department inspector general's office is examining whether it was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or an aide, perhaps acting at his behest, who used Hegseth's account on the unclassified chat application Signal to divulge detailed information about forthcoming air attacks on Yemen, according to people familiar with the Pentagon watchdog's work and communications reviewed by The Washington Post.
