Trump says ousted Pentagon planner is ‘gonna have big problems’
The U.S. military has referred fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia for criminal prosecution after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused him of leaking sensitive information. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the situation involving Sylvia, “along with others,” has been referred to the Justice Department.
The military made the criminal referral on Thursday, a day after Hegseth fired Sylvia.
The firing was initially made public without an explanation before a Pentagon spokesperson said Sylvia was fired to “protect sensitive information.”
Sylvia was a lieutenant general, a high-ranking position that placed him as the top military planner in the Pentagon.
The referral hands the matter to the Justice Department, which said it has “ongoing investigations related to possible leaks of classified information.”
Trump told reporters on Thursday that Sylvia was “gonna have big problems.”
Under Hegseth, the Pentagon has taken a series of actions to stop information about its operations from being shared with the public, restricting press access to military officials and records, including unclassified information.
Hegseth has also sought to stop any leaks from the department to the press. Trump said Thursday that his administration is “very much looking for leakers.”