Hegseth used the signal application connected to ‘Dirty Line’ on the personal computer at the Pentagon office: Fuentes
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, used the signal application on a personal computer in his office that was connected to the Internet in a non -safe commercial line, which is known as a “dirty line”, two sources confirmed to ABC News on Thursday.
A “dirty line” is the nickname given to a commercial internet line that is used to connect to websites that would not be available in the unlacified lines of the Pentagon (NIPR) or classified (SIPR).
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, attends a meeting of the Eradicante Task Force of Anti-Christian Besgo, in the Washington Department of Justice, on April 22, 2025.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters
This dirty line was installed at the request of Hegseth to be able to use the signal application on the personal computer, the sources said.
A commercial internet line has none of the Firewall protections that the unqualified system of the Department of Defense has, so it makes it potentially susceptible to being monitored, particularly if confidential information is being communicated.
The news was the first reported By Associated Press.
He reached to comment on the existence of the dirty line in the Hegseth office, a spokesman for the Department of Defense referred to an earlier statement by Sean Parnell, the main spokesman of the Pentagon.
“The use of the secretary of defense of communications systems and channels is classified,” said Parnell. “However, we can confirm that the secretary has never used and currently does not use a sign on his government computer.”
On Tuesday, Hegseth firmly denied that what he shared in a second group chat in the signal messaging application was classified from the war plans on imminent American air attacks aimed at Hutíes militants in Yemen, and blamed former employees for filtering, accusing them of going to the media with a new information to “sabotage” the Trump agenda.
Hegseth and other administration officials have insisted that information on the air attacks that was previously shared with another group of signals established by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was not classified.
On Tuesday, Hegesh continued making that case as questions have been asked about how he shared similar information with a smaller group of signals that the sources told ABC News included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
“I look at the war plans every day. What was shared on the signal at that time and now, as characterized, it was an informal coordination not classified for the coordination of the media other things. That is what I have said from the beginning,” Hegseth said in a live interview of the Pentagon about “Fox Fox in” Fox & Friends.”
The familiar sources with the chat had previously said to ABC News that Hegseth had established the group of signals with family and friends during his Senate confirmation process. Hegesh was not asked in the interview why he had shared the information with that group of nearby personal advisors that included his wife, who is not an employee of the United States government.
