Hegseth Adviser Placed On Leave Amid Defense Department Leak Probe

Dan Caldwell, adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave pending an ongoing investigation into leaks in the Defense Department, The Daily Wire has confirmed.

An official within the Defense Department confirmed the report to Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan on Tuesday.

“NEW: Defense Department official confirms to @realDailyWire that Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave related to an investigation into DOD leaks,” Olohan shared via X.

NEW: Defense Department official confirms to @realDailyWire that Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave related to an investigation into DOD leaks.

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) April 15, 2025

Reuters reported earlier in the day that Caldwell had been escorted out of the Pentagon over what an anonymous source had described as “an unauthorized disclosure.”

Hegseth has not yet commented publicly on the situation, and no reports have surfaced yet regarding what the “unauthorized disclosure” may have been.

Officials across President Donald Trump’s first presidential administration were plagued with leaks, prompting several of those with key positions in the current administration to strike proactive poses regarding those who might leak information to media outlets.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has employed polygraph testing in her efforts to root out suspected leakers within the DHS. Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’ assistant secretary for public affairs, issued a statement to Fox News Digital on that initiative, saying, “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security. We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant – we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has also taken a hardline stance on potential leakers in the intelligence community, saying in a statement, “Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people and will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable.”