In his Secure Freedom Minute for Wednesday, April 16 CHQ Contributor Frank Gaffney broke the story that two senior advisors to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were physically escorted from the Pentagon and put on administrative leave, reportedly in connection with an investigation of leaks of sensitive national security information.
Both are among a small number of individuals who previously worked for organizations funded by an anti-Trump libertarian billionaire named Charles Koch. Unsurprisingly, his employees have been associated, like him, with foreign policies described as “restraint.” However, in practice, they often amount to “retreat,” or even “defeatism.”
Now multiple sources have identified the alleged leakers as Pentagon senior advisor Dan Caldwell and Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick.
Our friends at NewsMax reported Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, wrote in a March 21 memo that the Pentagon was investigating what it said were leaks of national security information. Defense Department personnel could face polygraphs.
The memo referred to "recent unauthorized disclosures" but provided no details. Kasper warned that the investigation would begin immediately and result in a report to Hegseth.
According to Politico, those disclosures centered on "military operational plans for the Panama canal, a second carrier headed to the Red Sea, Elon Musk’s controversial visit to the Pentagon and pausing the collection of intelligence to Ukraine."
Caldwell, who served in the Marine Corps, was one of several senior advisers who worked closely with Hegseth. He was the staff member designated as Hegseth's point person in the Signal messaging chat that top Trump administration national security officials, including Hegseth, used to convey plans for a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen.
Caldwell worked for the Koch-funded Defense Priorities and Concerned Veterans for America. Selnick also served as a senior advisor to Concerned Veterans for America.
"I expect to be informed immediately if this effort results in information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure, and that such information will be referred to the appropriate criminal law enforcement entity for criminal prosecution," Kasper said in the memo.
As of CHQ post time today, neither Caldwell nor Selnick have been accused of any crime.
After the experience of his first term, Donald Trump resolved to avoid again hiring personnel opposed to his policies. Before returning to the White House, he actually declared that Koch alumni “need not apply” for jobs in his second administration, noted Mr. Gaffney.
Opposition to President Trump’s “America First” policies isn’t only to be found on the Left among Democrats, there are also opponents among libertarians who claim to be on the Right.
It seems to us – whether the opponents are Right or Left – it would be a good idea to revisit who made the decisions that ignored the president’s sensible direction to avoid hiring people who are at odds with his policies and to hire instead staff who – like his Cabinet – espouse robust America First policies.
