(TJV NEWS) Two senior aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were abruptly removed from the Pentagon and placed on administrative leave Tuesday after being implicated in an internal leak investigation, according to two U.S. officials.

The individuals in question are Dan Caldwell, a key adviser to Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, who serves as the Pentagon’s deputy chief of staff. The precise nature of the leaks has not been disclosed, nor have the specific details of the information they allegedly shared without authorization. However, the leaks were serious enough to prompt a high-level probe led by Pentagon Chief of Staff Joe Kasper.

One official familiar with the investigation suggested that Caldwell had leaked information to “far-left reporters” in an effort to undermine Hegseth, though the motives remain unconfirmed.

The probe gained urgency following a New York Times report that inaccurately claimed Elon Musk was set to receive a briefing on military war plans in the Pentagon’s secure “Tank” conference room. While Musk did visit the Pentagon, the meeting took place in Secretary Hegseth’s office, and reportedly did not touch on sensitive topics like China.

This incident followed a string of other leaks involving top-secret information, known only at the highest echelons of Pentagon leadership, further fueling internal scrutiny and disciplinary measures.

Caldwell has been a long-time ally of Hegseth, with the two having worked together at Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), where Caldwell served as policy director and later executive director. He was also identified by Hegseth in a secure Signal group chat, set up by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, as the go-to contact for coordinating strikes against the Houthi rebels.

Selnick, also a former CVA adviser, joined the Pentagon after Hegseth left the organization. Caldwell’s most recent role before joining the Pentagon was with Defense Priorities, a think tank known for advocating a restrained approach to U.S. foreign policy.

The personnel shakeup comes amid heightened tensions with Iran. President Donald Trump has recently intensified pressure over Tehran’s nuclear activities, deploying a second aircraft carrier to the region and stationing B-2 stealth bombers on Diego Garcia, a strategic U.S. base in the Indian Ocean.

The Pentagon has not publicly commented on the status of the investigation or potential disciplinary actions beyond administrative leave.