Ousted Hegseth aide accused of leaking lands intelligence post

Dan Caldwell, a former senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who was escorted from the Pentagon last April amid accusations of leaking classified information, has been hired by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, an administration official confirmed Monday. Caldwell's departure from the Defense Department followed an alleged breach of classified material during his tenure as one of Hegseth's key staffers. His move to ODNI—which oversees the U.S. intelligence community—raises questions about vetting procedures for officials accused of security violations, particularly given the sensitive nature of both his previous role and his new position. The hiring comes as the Trump administration continues staffing key national security posts following the Pentagon shake-up that removed Caldwell and two other aides.