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Pete Hegseth Fires Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia Over Alleged Classified Leaks To The Press
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Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, JCS strategy planner, was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Alleged leaks involved information on Iran war and Russia-Ukraine war to media.
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Sylvia fired over leaks
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his Joint Staff role as Director for Strategy, Plans & Policy, after an inquiry determined Sylvia had allegedly been leaking classified information to the press about the war with Iran, the war in Ukraine and other matters.
Sean Parnell confirmed in a social media post that “Following an extensive Air Force OSI investigation, the Department took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information” and that the matter was referred to the Justice Department for “potential further legal action.”
The Pentagon said Hegseth fired Sylvia for “severe misconduct,” and the investigation was referred to the Justice Department.
The Joint Staff spokesperson initially expressed “deepest gratitude” for Sylvia’s “distinguished” service, then withdrew that statement, saying “we determined that the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances.”
Polygraphs and media access
The Pentagon accused Sylvia of passing secret information about the Iran war and the war between Russia and Ukraine to journalists, and it said Sylvia failed three polygraph tests. The Pentagon said Sylvia failed three polygraph tests related to leaking classified information, and Sean Parnell posted that the department “has zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information.”
The Pentagon also said Sylvia met with journalists outside the building to circumvent tightened rules for contact with journalists, and it described the dismissal as “serious misconduct.” President Donald Trump told reporters, “She is going to have big problems,” and he said, “We’re looking for leakers with a lot of determination.”
Justice Department and fallout
The Pentagon referred Sylvia’s case to the Justice Department for possible further legal action, and Sean Parnell said the department took “necessary personnel measures to protect sensitive information.”
The Pentagon official described Sylvia as not a “central planner” for the Iran conflict, and the official said responsibility lay with United States Central Command and its commander, Adm. Brad Cooper.
The firing came as Trump weighed resuming attacks against Iran in a war that had already lasted eight months after next week’s midterm elections, according to the Independent en Español account.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff withdrew a statement that had extended their “deepest gratitude” for Sylvia’s “32 years of distinguished service,” saying “after a more thorough review, we determined the release did not accurately reflect all the circumstances.”