Report: Hegseth Fires 'Top Military Planner' for Alleged Leaks of Classified Info

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired a lieutenant general earlier this week for allegedly leaking classified information related to the war with Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war, sources said. As first reported by the Atlantic, Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was ousted from his position as director of the Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy at the Joint Staff, also known as the J5. Referred to as “the Pentagon’s top military planner” by CBS News, Sylvia reportedly failed three polygraph tests on sharing classified information with the press, a source said. While chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not name the fired lieutenant general, he said in a statement that “this matter, along with others, have been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action.” “The Department of War has zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” Parnell wrote on X. “Anyone who compromises sensitive national security information puts the lives of our Warriors at risk and undermines every military operation that keeps our country safe.” After explaining that the “necessary personnel action” took place after an “extensive” investigation, the spokesman noted that “classified information is not personal property.” “Leaking it for personal, political or professional gain is a betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for keeping it,” Parnell added. “Our commitment was not an empty promise. We vowed to find you, and we meant it.” While two other Pentagon sources confirmed to CBS News that the termination was related to the polygraph test, they denied the allegations against Sylvia. In another twist, the Joint Staff withdrew a statement it issued on Wednesday that extended its “deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation.” In an update Thursday, the Joint Staff said, “Upon further review, we determined that the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances.” “Out of respect for the servicemember and the ongoing personnel process we will not comment further,” the second statement concluded. No one has been named yet to replace Sylvia, who is a former commander of the 101st Airborne Division and recipient of the Bronze Star for Valor and Purple Heart.