A senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was abruptly escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into unauthorized disclosures of national security information.

The advisor, Dan Caldwell, was removed following allegations of an “unauthorized disclosure” linked to an ongoing probe into a series of leaks from within the Pentagon. Reuters first reported Caldwell’s removal, and a DOD official later confirmed the report’s accuracy to Fox News Digital, though declined to offer further details, citing the active investigation.

Caldwell, a longtime foreign policy official, previously held positions at the restraint-focused think tank Defense Priorities and at Concerned Veterans for America, an organization once led by Hegseth. He has been vocal in advocating for a reduced U.S. military presence overseas, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.

The Pentagon launched a formal investigation last month into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information,” with plans to utilize polygraph examinations to identify potential sources of the leaks. In a memo outlining the probe, DOD Chief of Staff Joe Kasper wrote that the use of polygraphs would comply with all applicable laws and that any individual found responsible for a leak would be referred for criminal prosecution.

While specific details regarding Caldwell’s alleged role in the leak remain unclear, his close relationship with Secretary Hegseth has drawn attention. A leaked Signal chat about U.S. strikes on Houthi targets revealed that Hegseth had designated Caldwell as the Pentagon’s point of contact for the campaign. That chat became public after National Security Advisor Mike Waltz mistakenly added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the group.

The Department of Defense is the latest federal agency to crack down on internal leaks, joining the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice in implementing polygraph screenings. The push for tighter internal controls follows backlash over a New York Times report suggesting that Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk would be briefed on war plans with China — a claim President Donald Trump strongly denied, saying he “would not show war plans to anybody.”

At present, no evidence links Caldwell to that particular leak. The full scope of his alleged disclosure, and whether it could carry criminal implications, remains under investigation.

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