In a dramatic escalation, Pentagon chief Hegseth’s team faces scrutiny as a third appointee is put on leave

As the Pentagon scandal investigation intensifies, a third senior appointee has been placed on administrative leave. Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defence Steve Feinberg, was escorted out of the Pentagon on Wednesday, according to two defence sources. His removal follows a deepening purge within the Department of Defence, which has already seen Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick suspended earlier this week amid the widening probe into unauthorised disclosures of sensitive information.

Sources familiar with the situation suggest that these removals are linked to a larger power struggle inside the Pentagon, with tensions reportedly escalating between Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, and those who had disagreements with him. One defence insider revealed that the moves were part of a “purge” of staff aligned with Hegseth’s critics, fueling suspicions of internal political manoeuvring.

Carroll, who took up his post in January, previously held roles at defence contractor Anduril Industries and the Department of Defence’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Centre. His abrupt removal follows the suspension of Caldwell and Selnick, with Caldwell now under investigation for an alleged unauthorised disclosure. The string of leave notices has raised eyebrows, with many questioning whether the Pentagon is in the midst of an internal crisis.

Hegseth, who has remained silent on the scandal, was seen smiling but declined to respond to reporters’ questions on the issue during a meeting with the Defence Minister of El Salvador. This reticence has only deepened the mystery surrounding the ongoing investigations.

At the heart of the probe is a March 21 memo from Kasper that ordered an investigation into unauthorised disclosures of sensitive material. The memo specified the use of polygraph tests to identify the parties responsible for the leaks. Kasper’s directive emphasised the gravity of the situation, warning that any guilty parties would face criminal prosecution. “I expect to be informed immediately if this effort results in information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorised disclosure,” Kasper wrote, adding that such information would be referred to law enforcement for potential criminal charges.

The investigation gained additional urgency after Hegseth himself came under fire for a separate leak scandal. Just weeks ago, it was revealed that Hegseth shared highly classified military operation details in a Signal group chat, which inadvertently included a reporter. The leak of sensitive information raised alarm bells within the Pentagon, with defence officials asserting that the details shared could have jeopardised the safety of service members involved in covert operations.

One defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasised the severity of the leak, saying, “It is safe to say that anybody in uniform would be court martialed for this. We don’t provide that level of information on unclassified systems to protect the lives of the servicemembers involved in these strikes. If we did, it would be wholly irresponsible.”

The growing scandal has put a spotlight on the Pentagon’s internal workings, with many now questioning whether the leadership under Hegseth and Kasper is being undermined by leaks and infighting. As investigations continue, it remains unclear whether this purge will resolve the internal tensions or lead to further revelations about the department’s troubled operations.