General fired by Hegseth referred for criminal prosecution, Pentagon says
General fired by Hegseth referred for criminal prosecution, Pentagon says
Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA TODAYThu, October 29, 2026 at 11:30 PM UTC
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WASHINGTON – The U.S. military said it has made a criminal referral to the Justice Department in the case of Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, a top officer who was suddenly ousted after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accused him of leaking classified information.
Hegseth fired Sylvia on Oct. 28 in a decision that was initially announced without explanation. Sylvia served on the Joint Staff as the director for strategy, plans and policy, a role known as the Pentagon’s chief military planner.
Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote in a post on X that “the Department took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information.”
“This matter, along with others, have been referred to the Justice Department for potential further legal action,” he added.
A spokesperson for the DOJ said in a statement that it “has ongoing investigations related to possible leaks of classified information.”
“We work closely with our government partners, which includes the Department of War,” the spokesperson added.
President Donald Trump addressed the general's firing in remarks to reporters on Oct. 29.
Sylvia is “gonna have big problems,” Trump said. “We’re very much looking for leakers.”
Sylvia did not respond to a request for comment.
Sylvia is the latest top general to be ousted under Hegseth’s tenure. The Pentagon chief has fired or forced into retirement roughly two dozen high-ranking military officers. Hegseth has pledged to significantly reduce the number of positions reserved for generals and admirals.
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In his role, Sylvia reported to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Hegseth's decision to fire Sylvia and the circumstances behind his ouster appeared to catch Caine’s office off guard.
Caine’s staff released an initial statement that thanked Sylvia for his 32 years of “distinguished service to our nation.”
“We wish him and his family the best as they graduate to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives,” the statement added.
The office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff later moved to retract that statement.
Under Hegseth’s leadership, the Pentagon has sought to crack down on media leaks and identify potential sources of leaks within the department. Pentagon leadership has also administered polygraph tests to senior military leaders, including members of the Joint Staff.
“The Department of War has zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” Parnell wrote on X. “Anyone who compromises sensitive national security information puts the lives of our Warriors at risk and undermines every military operation that keeps our country safe.”
Three Pentagon officials were fired in 2025 as part of an investigation into an unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. The three officials were never referred for criminal prosecution.
One of the aides, Dan Caldwell, later rejoined the Trump administration in a role at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The decision to rehire Caldwell appeared to undercut the classified leak allegations against him.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: General fired by Hegseth referred for criminal prosecution, Pentagon says
Source: “AOL Breaking”
