The Pentagon's top military planner, Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, admitted to leaking classified information concerning Ukraine and Iran to two journalists from separate media outlets over a period of one year, according to an internal investigation report shared with Axios.

Sylvia was dismissed this week by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over the alleged misconduct. A US official told Axios that the career military officer acknowledged the leaks on video after failing four polygraph tests.

The investigation report accused Sylvia of making "unauthorised disclosures to the media". It also said he struggled to pass multiple polygraph examinations but cooperated with investigators by answering questions about his interactions with journalists and handing over his personal phone for forensic examination.

Leaks Allegedly Began In June 2025, Continued Through Signal

According to the report and US officials, Sylvia's alleged disclosures began as early as June 2025, before mainstream media outlets were removed from the Pentagon, and continued afterward.

The communications reportedly took place through the encrypted messaging application Signal. One meeting between Sylvia and a journalist also took place at a Silver Diner in Arlington, Virginia, after the reporter's access to the Pentagon was revoked.

"The meeting at the diner occurred because [redacted's] access to the Pentagon was revoked between meetings," the report stated.

During the meeting, Sylvia allegedly used notes he had taken while reviewing a classified report marked secret to orally share information about US assistance to Ukraine.

The report said the journalist was working on a book and had met Sylvia twice. It added that the general did not coordinate the meetings with the Pentagon's Public Affairs Office or seek approval to have the information reviewed before sharing it.

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Investigators Suspect Sylvia Deleted Signal Messages

The investigation also raised questions about the disappearance of communications between Sylvia and one of the journalists.

US officials suspect that the general deliberately deleted traces of their Signal exchanges but presented the deletion as accidental.

According to the report, Sylvia recalled receiving a Signal message from the journalist sometime in June or July, which he believed was related to Iran. He told investigators that he did not respond to the message and instead deleted it.

The report quoted him as saying that he believed he had accidentally deleted the entire message thread while removing the individual message. This also erased Signal messages and calls that would otherwise have been recorded on his personal phone.

In another instance, Sylvia reportedly acknowledged being one of the 20 officials cited in a media report that criticised Pentagon leadership.

Row Over Joint Staff Statement Supporting Sylvia

A separate dispute emerged over an alleged attempt by Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle's office to secure a statement from the Joint Staff supporting Sylvia following his dismissal.

A US official told Axios that Telle and his office had lobbied the Joint Staff to issue a statement backing the general in order to minimise the impact of potential future allegations that he had leaked classified information.

The Joint Staff reportedly withdrew the statement after someone within the Defence Department informed it of the reasons behind Sylvia's dismissal.

However, an Army official rejected the allegation that Telle's office had pushed for a supportive statement.

"This is the latest in a coordinated campaign of lies designed to sow chaos," the official said, adding that Acting Secretary Telle and his office had not advocated for any statement concerning Sylvia. The official described the entire account as false.

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Hegseth's Pentagon Steps Up Crackdown On Leaks

Sylvia's dismissal is the latest action in the Trump administration's broader effort to crack down on unauthorised disclosures and tighten restrictions on media access to the Pentagon.

In July, the Defence Department announced a joint task force with the Justice Department to identify individuals leaking information from the Pentagon. The department also called on its Office of General Counsel to prioritise prosecutions of those responsible for unauthorised disclosures to the media.

The Pentagon's approach to press access had already triggered a confrontation with news organisations. Last year, several defence reporters and media outlets surrendered their press credentials in response to restrictive reporting rules introduced by the department.

Sylvia did not immediately respond to a phone call, voicemail or text message sent to the number listed for him in public records, according to Axios.