The high-stakes internal investigation into unauthorized disclosures at the Pentagon has entered a dramatic new phase, with a third senior official now removed from duty as part of the probe.
On Wednesday, Colin Carroll, the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, was placed on administrative leave and escorted from the building, according to Politico.
Who Is Colin Carroll?
Carroll is a Marine Corps Reserve officer with deep experience in defense technology, having previously worked at Anduril Industries, a cutting-edge defense contractor known for its autonomous systems. He also served as the chief operating officer of the Pentagon’s now-defunct Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, where he was fired under the Biden administration over allegations of creating a hostile workplace.
His sudden removal under the Trump administration, however, is not related to prior conduct — it’s part of a growing investigation into leaks that appear to have touched multiple corners of the Department of Defense.
A Growing List of Suspensions
Carroll’s ouster follows the removal of Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick and senior adviser Dan Caldwell, both of whom were escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday. All three men were closely aligned with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s reformist inner circle and part of the DOGE-led (Department of Government Efficiency) initiative to streamline military operations and eliminate bureaucratic bloat.
The leak probe, reportedly initiated after a March 21 directive from Hegseth’s chief of staff, aims to identify and neutralize the source of sensitive military information leaks — including operational details involving the Red Sea, Panama Canal, and intelligence pauses in Ukraine.
Caldwell, in particular, has been linked to a Signal chat group associated with Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL). While it’s unclear whether the group is directly involved in the leaks, the connection has fueled speculation about politically sensitive disclosures.
What’s Next?
The Pentagon has not commented publicly on the specifics of the alleged leaks or confirmed whether criminal charges are being considered. However, the removal of three top officials in 48 hours suggests the leak probe is broad in scope and deep in consequence.
More heads could roll as internal investigators trace how sensitive data was disseminated and whether outside actors — foreign or domestic — were involved.
The drama surrounding the leak probe underscores a larger battle inside the Trump-era Pentagon: a clash between old-guard defense bureaucrats and a new wave of tech-driven reformers determined to upend the status quo.
