The week of turmoil affecting the Pentagon’s inner circle continued Friday, when two political appointees suspended earlier this week were terminated, multiple officials told CBS News.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, ordered an investigation into unauthorized disclosures in March. His memo said the investigation would seek “a complete record” of leaks and use polygraph tests if necessary.
The two now-fired officials are Hegseth’s senior advisor Dan Caldwell and deputy chief of staff Dan Selnick, the sources said. Both were put on administrative leave earlier this week pending the leak investigation, CBS News reported. Politico was first to report their termination.
A third official, Colin Carroll, the chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense, was also put on administrative leave this week amid the investigation.
Kasper is also under review as part of the probe, two sources said.
Regarding Kasper, a senior Defense official told CBS News on Saturday: “At this time, no final senior staffing changes have been decided, and the secretary will make any future announcements on his own timetable.”
Officials have told CBS News there are discussions about suspending more officials in what appears to be a widespread investigation into leaks to news outlets.
Kasper’s memo was released the same day that the Pentagon vehemently denied billionaire Elon Musk was coming to the Pentagon for a classified briefing on war plans with China, but officials say the investigation is looking at more than just one story.
