Pentagon removes Lt Gen Brett Sylvia over leak allegations; he failed polygraph tests, officials say

A major leak of classified information at the Pentagon, the US defence headquarters, has caused a stir. Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, the policy chief on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been abruptly removed from his post. He is accused of passing information on the Iran conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war and highly secret Pentagon military operations to journalists.

Senior Pentagon officials said Sylvia failed three to four consecutive polygraph (lie detector) tests during a deep investigation by security agencies. The case has caused considerable unease in American military and political circles.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Sylvia as head of strategy, plans and policy (J5) on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The post advises the President and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on military policy. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, giving the official details on social media, said the strict action was taken to protect the country's highly sensitive and classified information.

A criminal prosecution of Sylvia has been recommended and the case has been handed to the Department of Justice. A senior military officer would ordinarily be tried by court-martial, but the Pentagon has not yet fully explained why the case is going to a civil court. Responding to the matter, President Donald Trump said General Sylvia would face very serious legal trouble and that the administration is taking strict action against everyone who leaks secret information.

According to the investigation, Sylvia made secret contact with journalists from two different news organisations without informing the Pentagon's public affairs office. He is suspected of giving the information for the writing of a book and for confidential news reports. He used the encrypted messaging app Signal and also held face-to-face meetings at a hotel near Washington.

When investigators asked about message records, it emerged that he had deleted some important message threads. Sylvia claims the messages were deleted by mistake, but his answers in the polygraph tests showed major discrepancies. He is reported to have admitted on camera, as the investigation tightened, that he had himself shared false information.

Lt Gen Sylvia was regarded as a highly respected name in the US Army. Until May 2025 he was commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In 32 years of service he received six Bronze Star Medals for valour in combat and the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat.

The Joint Staff had initially issued a letter thanking him for his 32 years of service. The situation changed on Thursday, and the statement was withdrawn after the shocking findings of the investigation report. The Pentagon also promptly removed Sylvia's biography and photograph from its official website.

This is not the first action against officers over leaks of classified information during Hegseth's tenure. Earlier, three officials were dismissed after similar suspicions arose in polygraph tests. The Pentagon has now imposed strict restrictions on journalists covering it. A military officer must accompany reporters on the premises at all times, and part of the press office has been declared a classified area, with journalists completely barred from entering.