'Unconscionable': Three ex-Pentagon officials express confusion over their dismissals
In their initial public remarks, the removed advisers commended the administration but did not refer to their previous superior, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
TroibNews 
Three high-ranking Pentagon advisers were dismissed this week following a leak investigation, and they expressed on Saturday their confusion regarding their termination.
Former senior adviser Dan Caldwell, former deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, who served as the deputy Defense secretary’s chief of staff, took to X to state that they “have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with.”
Their remarks regarding an “unconscionable” and unfounded firing contribute to a chaotic period for the Pentagon. On Friday, Joe Kasper, chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the individual responsible for the memo that initiated the leak inquiry, transitioned to a new role.
PMG reported that the advisers were reportedly under investigation for several leaks, which included information about Elon Musk’s visit to the Pentagon, military strategies concerning the Panama Canal, the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Red Sea, and a halt in intelligence collection related to Ukraine.
The former officials disputed the claims against them.
“Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door,” they stated in a post on Caldwell’s account.
While they voiced their support for the “Trump-Vance Administration’s mission to make the Pentagon great again,” they notably did not mention Hegseth, with whom they had closely collaborated.
The former advisers expressed their intention to continue supporting the administration’s “peace through strength” initiative in “different capacities.”
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell did not respond to a request for comments.
It is noteworthy that the former officials did not offer public backing for their previous boss. Hegseth is currently under investigation by the Pentagon's inspector general to determine whether he shared classified information in a Signal chat with national security leaders.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
Former senior adviser Dan Caldwell, former deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, who served as the deputy Defense secretary’s chief of staff, took to X to state that they “have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with.”
Their remarks regarding an “unconscionable” and unfounded firing contribute to a chaotic period for the Pentagon. On Friday, Joe Kasper, chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the individual responsible for the memo that initiated the leak inquiry, transitioned to a new role.
PMG reported that the advisers were reportedly under investigation for several leaks, which included information about Elon Musk’s visit to the Pentagon, military strategies concerning the Panama Canal, the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Red Sea, and a halt in intelligence collection related to Ukraine.
The former officials disputed the claims against them.
“Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door,” they stated in a post on Caldwell’s account.
While they voiced their support for the “Trump-Vance Administration’s mission to make the Pentagon great again,” they notably did not mention Hegseth, with whom they had closely collaborated.
The former advisers expressed their intention to continue supporting the administration’s “peace through strength” initiative in “different capacities.”
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell did not respond to a request for comments.
It is noteworthy that the former officials did not offer public backing for their previous boss. Hegseth is currently under investigation by the Pentagon's inspector general to determine whether he shared classified information in a Signal chat with national security leaders.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
