Against the backdrop of a recent purge of top US Army officers for leaking classified information, the Pentagon has charged its recently dismissed number two man, Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, with just that crime.
Defence official hours were broken Wednesday late evening, when Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Sylvia as head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s strategy, plans and policy, a defence official confirmed. Position entails devising and planning military strategies for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the US president.
At that time, they did not give any official cause for Sylvia’s firing. But a Pentagon official later said he was being investigated for leaking classified information regarding the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine problem, and other issues with the news reporters.
Pentagon Sees Polygraph Tests
The official said anonymously that the tests involved alleged leaks of classified information and she passed three of them and failed three others.
In a post on social media, Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell claimed the department had already made “the proper personnel action to safeguard sensitive info.” He didn’t mention the name of the girl called Sylvia, but Parnell said the matter was referred to the Justice Department “for further action.”
Legal Proceedings Remain Unclear
The Pentagon neither explained why it wanted to pursue possible charges in the civilian court system as opposed to military court nor why it was uncertain whether to bring the case under civilian or military court jurisdiction.
Sylvia did not immediately respond to voice mail messages, text messages messages and e-mail messages sent via contact information and accounts he claimed were his on LinkedIn.
His ouster is part of a multi-layered wave of senior officers’ replacements and firings under Hegseth. The results of the investigation are not yet known, and it is unclear if formal charges will be made.