Rep. Jason Crow: Congress Not Briefed on Hegseth’s Classified Leak Probe Amid Pentagon Purges, Climate of Fear

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C., United States — Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado revealed Sunday that congressional leaders have not been briefed on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of highly sensitive classified details about U.S. stockpiles of advanced weapons systems.

Crow, a senior member of both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, made the statement during an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, emphasizing that he and his colleagues haven’t received any information about the wide-ranging probe.

While affirming that safeguarding classified material and preventing leaks remains a critical priority, Crow warned that the broader context surrounding Hegseth’s actions raises serious concerns — calling the investigation “part of an effort to create fear and to clamp down on information coming out of the Pentagon.”

He noted that Hegseth has removed more than 80 generals and admirals since taking office at the start of the current Trump administration — amounting to roughly the top 10% of the military’s leadership chain — and pointed to a sharp decline in women selected for promotion, now at a 25-year low under Hegseth’s tenure.

“And he’s created an environment of fear. He’s pushed out journalists. He’s pushed out media,” Crow stated, linking the opacity around the leak probe to a wider pattern of withholding information from elected officials.

When asked about reported shortages of munitions, Crow responded directly: “They do not want people to know. This is exactly the point. They do not want people to know what’s actually happening.”

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)