Washington: A US Army lieutenant general dismissed by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has admitted sharing classified information about the wars in Iran and Ukraine with journalists over roughly a year, according to an internal investigation report reviewed by Axios.
Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, who headed the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate, known as the J5, reportedly acknowledged sharing classified information with two journalists from separate media organisations.
A US official told Axios that Sylvia made the admissions during a video-recorded interview after failing multiple polygraph tests as part of the investigation.
Hegseth dismissed Sylvia on Wednesday over what the Pentagon described as severe misconduct. The investigation has been referred to the Department of Justice for further action and remains ongoing.
The findings have raised fresh questions about the handling of classified military information and the Pentagon’s efforts to prevent unauthorised disclosures to the media.
Investigation traces alleged leaks to June 2025
According to the report reviewed by Axios, Sylvia’s disclosures began as early as June 2025 and continued over a period of approximately one year.
The investigation found that he allegedly communicated with journalists through the encrypted messaging application Signal. He also reportedly met one of the journalists in person at a Silver Diner in Arlington, Virginia.
The journalist was working on a book and met Sylvia twice, according to the report. The meetings were not coordinated with the Pentagon’s public affairs office, and Sylvia did not seek official clearance before sharing information.
One meeting reportedly took place after the journalist’s access to the Pentagon had been revoked.
During the encounter, Sylvia allegedly used notes he had made while reviewing a classified report to orally share information about US assistance to Ukraine.
The findings suggest that the alleged disclosures involved information obtained through Sylvia’s official responsibilities. The investigation is examining the extent of the material shared and whether the disclosures compromised national security.
Deleted Signal messages raise further questions
The investigation also examined Sylvia’s handling of communications with one of the journalists.
According to the report, Sylvia received a Signal message sometime in June or July that he believed concerned Iran. During questioning, he reportedly said he could not remember the exact contents of the message.
He claimed that he had deleted it because he believed he had accidentally erased the entire conversation thread.
The deletion also removed other Signal messages and calls that investigators might otherwise have been able to recover from his personal phone.
US officials suspect that Sylvia deliberately deleted the communications and later presented the action as accidental. That suspicion forms part of the investigation and has not been independently established as a final finding.
The report also said Sylvia admitted that he was one of around 20 officials cited in a media article critical of Pentagon leadership.
The handling of the messages has become another focus for investigators seeking to establish the full extent of Sylvia’s contacts with journalists and the nature of the information exchanged.
Pentagon withdrew statement supporting Sylvia
The investigation has also brought attention to an attempt within the Army to issue a statement supporting Sylvia.
According to a US official cited by Axios, Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle and his office had lobbied the Joint Staff to release a statement backing the general in an effort to limit the damage from possible future allegations of leaks.
The Joint Staff subsequently withdrew the statement after someone in the Defence Department informed it of the reasons behind Sylvia’s dismissal.
The episode has raised questions about how the Army and the wider Pentagon handled the allegations before the dismissal became public.
The investigation remains with the relevant authorities, while the Department of Justice has been asked to consider further action.
Trump says administration is looking for leakers
US President Donald Trump commented on Sylvia’s dismissal on Thursday, saying the general had “big problems” and that his administration was “very much looking for leakers”.
Trump appeared to refer to Sylvia using female pronouns while discussing the case.
The president’s comments came as the administration continued to emphasise its efforts to identify officials suspected of sharing classified information without authorisation.
Separately, a Defence Department official confirmed to Al Jazeera that Sylvia was under investigation over alleged disclosures concerning the Iran war, Russia’s war against Ukraine and other matters.
The official said Sylvia had failed three polygraph tests and accused him of putting national security at risk.
The official also sought to distinguish Sylvia’s role from the operational planning of the Iran war, saying that responsibility rested with US Central Command (Centcom) and its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper.
Hegseth intensifies crackdown on Pentagon leaks
Sylvia’s dismissal is the latest development in Hegseth’s wider effort to prevent unauthorised disclosures of classified information to journalists.
In July, the Pentagon announced a joint task force with the Department of Justice to identify individuals responsible for leaks. It also directed its Office of General Counsel to prioritise prosecutions involving the unauthorised release of classified material.
The administration has argued that unauthorised disclosures can compromise military operations, intelligence sources and national security.
The Pentagon had also introduced more restrictive rules governing journalists’ access and reporting in October 2025. The changes prompted several news organisations and defence reporters to surrender their press credentials rather than accept the new conditions.
The restrictions have formed part of a wider debate over the balance between protecting sensitive military information and allowing journalists to report on the activities of the Defence Department.
Sylvia is the second J5 chief removed under Hegseth
Sylvia is the second senior officer to be removed from the J5 position during Hegseth’s tenure as Defence Secretary.
His predecessor, Lt Gen Joseph McGee, was forced into retirement in October 2025.
The J5 directorate plays an important role in the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s work on strategy, plans and policy. Its responsibilities include developing military strategy and coordinating planning across the US armed forces.
The allegations against Sylvia are particularly significant because of the sensitivity of the information reportedly shared, including details concerning US assistance to Ukraine and the war involving Iran.
No immediate replacement had been named for Sylvia, according to an official cited by The Associated Press.
What happens next in the investigation?
The case has been referred to the Department of Justice, which will consider whether further legal action is warranted.
Investigators are continuing to examine the alleged communications, the information shared with journalists and the circumstances surrounding the deletion of messages.
The findings reported by Axios include Sylvia’s alleged admissions, but the investigation has not yet concluded. Any criminal liability or further disciplinary action will depend on the evidence and the decisions of the relevant authorities.
The case also comes at a time when the Pentagon is tightening controls over media access and pursuing officials suspected of leaking classified material.
For the US military leadership, the immediate concern is establishing whether sensitive information was compromised and whether the alleged disclosures affected national security. The outcome of the investigation will determine the next steps in the case.