A third Top Pentagon official took leave in the investigation into leaks at the Department of Defense.
The most recent official potentially involved in the investigation is Colin Carroll, Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, reported Wednesday by several outlets.
Carroll’s suspension follows the removal of Dan Caldwell, senior adviser to the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, and Darryn Celnick, the Pentagon Chief of Staff, from the Post on Tuesday.
“We can see that Carroll, Caldwell and Sernick are on administrative leave during the investigation,” a defense official told the post.
Caldwell took administrative leave due to “fraudulent disclosure,” Pentagon officials said Tuesday.
Reports suggest that Celnick was under investigation with the same leak probe, including Caldwell.
Both men were escorted from the Pentagon by security.
Defense officials on Wednesday did not say whether Carroll’s suspension was related to leak probes.
The suspension comes less than a month after Hegses Chief of Staff Joe Casper ordered the Defense Director (anti-intellect, law enforcement and security). Supports the probe “Unauthorized disclosure of classified information from the Department of Defense as general confidential information.”
“Recent disclosure of national security information, including sensitive communication with principals within the office of National Security Information (OSD) requires immediate and thorough investigation,” Kasper wrote in a note on March 21.
The directive noted that polygraph testing could be managed “in accordance with applicable laws and policies” as part of the hunt for leakers.
It is unclear whether any of the suspended officials were exposed to polygraph testing.
A report containing “a complete record of unauthorized disclosures within the Department of Defense and recommendations to improve such efforts” is expected to be submitted to Hegzes at the end of the investigation.
“If this effort identifies information identifying a party responsible for disclosures that are not permitted, such information is expected to be notified immediately if it is referred to an appropriate criminal law enforcement agency for criminal prosecution,” Kasper wrote.
It is not yet known whether any of the suspended individuals could face criminal charges.
Leaks under investigation include disclosures about plans to operate the Panama Canal, airline moves in the Red Sea, Elon Musk’s visit to the Pentagon last month, and a March visit to the March regarding the sharing of intelligence news with Ukraine, which US officials told Politico.
