A source told the news company Associated Press that US secretary of defense Pete Hegseth used a professional web line installed in his Pentagon business to pass conventional defense department security systems and gain access to encrypted messaging services like Signal from a personal computer.
According to ABC News, the “dirty line” was specifically used to access websites and applications that were previously blocked by the Pentagon’s SiprNet and NiprNet ( for unclassified but secure communication ). Due to the potential for spyware and hacking, Pentagon regulations forbid any illegal digital devices from entering the defense secretary’s office.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Hegseth had intimate relationships with near personal emails through a private Signal team and shared sensitive information about military air strikes in Oman. His wife Jennifer ( a former Fox News producer ), his brother Phil, and lawyer Tim Parlatore, who also advises him at the Pentagon, made up the group that he had in mind in January before his confirmation. Hegseth, according to The Times, shared details like the timing of F/A-18 Hornets ‘ flights on March 15 that targeted Houthi rebels.
Hegseth’s event was the second of its kind. The Atlantic made the revelation that its editor-in-chief had unintentionally been added to another Signal conversation about the same Yemen activity next month.
Hegseth had previously criticized Hillary Clinton on Fox News for using a private email server while she was secretary of state, calling it a “fireable” and” legal” crime for anyone with a top secret clearance.
