Hegseth Fires Pentagon’s Top Planner Over Alleged Classified Leaks

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the officer who led strategy and planning for the Joint Chiefs, after the Pentagon accused him of leaking classified information to journalists. The matter has been referred to the Justice Department for possible legal action.

Sylvia ran the Joint Staff’s J5 directorate, the office that turns presidential and military priorities into strategy, policy and war plans. His removal puts one of the Pentagon’s most sensitive planning posts at the center of Hegseth’s campaign against unauthorized disclosures.

An unnamed Pentagon official told Reuters and the Associated Press that Sylvia failed three polygraph examinations. AP reported that the alleged disclosures concerned the Iran war, Russia’s war in Ukraine and other subjects. Those are departmental accusations, not criminal findings.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said an Air Force Office of Special Investigations inquiry preceded the personnel action and that the case had gone to Justice. The Joint Staff then withdrew an earlier statement thanking Sylvia for 32 years of service, saying it did not reflect the full circumstances.

The Pentagon has made none of its evidence public. A colleague told The Washington Post that Sylvia repeatedly denied leaking classified information, while acknowledging professional contact with journalists. Sylvia did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters or AP.

The referral does not establish that Sylvia committed a crime, and the Justice Department has announced no charge. The Post reported that Justice confirmed ongoing investigations into possible classified-information leaks and coordination with the Pentagon.

Hegseth has expanded polygraph testing and restricted journalists’ access while pursuing suspected leakers. The unanswered questions are basic: what information was allegedly disclosed, when it was disclosed, and what evidence connects Sylvia to it.