Pentagon Fires Army General Brett Sylvia Over Alleged Leak of Classified Information
The Pentagon has fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, an Army general, after allegations that he disclosed classified information to the public. According to reporting by The Guardian, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly made the decision. Sylvia had served as director for strategy, plans and policy on the Pentagon's joint staff, and AP News identified him as the Pentagon's top military planner. AP also reported that he was the second general to be ousted.
The Pentagon's spokesman, Sean Parnell, acknowledged the dismissal in a social media statement, though he did not name Sylvia. Parnell said the department had taken personnel action after an extensive investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the service's internal criminal investigative body, and that the action was taken to protect sensitive information.
A senior Pentagon official told Reuters that Sylvia had failed three separate polygraph tests, a lie-detector examination, in which he was asked whether he had disclosed classified material.
Parnell said the leak matter, along with others, had been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action. The Washington Post reported, citing officials, that Sylvia had been referred for criminal prosecution. The Pentagon has said it referred an alleged leak case for criminal investigation.
The referrals follow a broader effort announced in July. Hegseth said at that time that the Pentagon and the Justice Department had created a joint taskforce to identify and prosecute the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information to the press.
President Donald Trump publicly commented on the firing of the general accused of leaking classified information.
Leaks of classified material are handled through a mix of military discipline, administrative action and, where a case is referred, criminal law. Being referred to the Justice Department means the matter is passed to federal prosecutors, who decide whether to bring charges. No charges against Sylvia have been announced so far.
