Pete Hegseth is facing allegations that he used illegal wiretap intel to justify firing Pentagon aides, deepening a surveillance scandal already under investigation.
At a Glance
- Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth is accused of using unauthorized wiretap data to terminate three senior aides.
- The dismissed aides were allegedly implicated through intercepted Signal messages.
- A senior official reportedly referenced “NSA-style” surveillance during internal discussions.
- The scandal compounds an existing Inspector General probe into leaked Signal chats.
- Calls for congressional hearings and oversight are gaining traction.
Surveillance Claims Spark Firestorm
A widening scandal inside the Pentagon now centers on Pete Hegseth, the high-profile Secretary, who stands accused of firing three senior aides based on unauthorized surveillance of their private communications. The firings, which insiders say were sudden and unsubstantiated, are now believed to be rooted in an alleged misuse of warrantless wiretaps, possibly modeled on National Security Agency tactics.
The claims stem from a whistleblower allegation: that a close Hegseth aide, Justin Fulcher, fabricated a scenario in which encrypted Signal chats were intercepted and framed as evidence of disloyalty. Fulcher, who insiders say wielded outsize influence over personnel decisions, allegedly used this to push for the dismissals—later describing the data as having “NSA style” provenance in internal discussions.
Watch a report: Pete Hegseth Accused Of Using Illegal Wiretap.
Echoes of “Signalgate”
These revelations arrive as the Pentagon remains embroiled in “Signalgate”, an earlier scandal in which Hegseth reportedly leaked sensitive strategic information through encrypted messaging platforms. That incident triggered a formal investigation by the Defense Department’s Inspector General, which now appears poised to expand its inquiry to include the recent wiretap claims.
While Fulcher has denied wrongdoing, his credibility has come under scrutiny following contradictions in his accounts of the dismissed aides’ alleged offenses. Some officials have suggested the surveillance allegations were concocted to sideline internal critics and consolidate control under Hegseth loyalists. One senior source described the moves as part of a “shadow purge,” targeting voices who opposed Hegseth’s more hawkish policy shifts.
Political and Legal Fallout
Congressional aides have already signaled interest in opening hearings into whether Hegseth or his office misused surveillance tools to monitor civilian employees. Legal experts warn that if warrantless data was used to make personnel decisions, it could trigger not only administrative sanctions but also criminal liability.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon leadership vacuum continues to deepen. The three terminated aides represented key experience hubs in strategic planning, regional operations, and intelligence coordination. Their ouster has stoked concerns over stability and morale within the Department of Defense—already under strain from recent policy volatility and staffing turnover.
As the Inspector General’s probe widens and the specter of unlawful surveillance looms larger, Washington is bracing for what could become the most serious Pentagon leadership scandal in over a decade.
