Pentagon fires top general for alleged leaks to the media

The Department of Defense referred Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia for criminal prosecution in late October 2026 following an internal investigation into his alleged disclosures of classified information to multiple members of the press, according to various news outlets. Sylvia was also abruptly fired from his position at the Pentagon.

Sylvia’s removal as the head of the Directorate for Strategy, Plans and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff was first reported by The Atlantic on Oct. 28.

The following day, however, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement posted to social media that the DOD has “zero tolerance for the intentional, unauthorized disclosure of classified information.” He added that, following an investigation led by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the department “took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information.”

While Parnell didn’t name Sylvia directly, a defense official confirmed to The Washington Post that the comments were in reference to the general’s removal.

“Classified information is not personal property. Leaking it for personal, political or professional gain is a betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for keeping it,” Parnell wrote. “Our commitment was not an empty promise. We vowed to find you, and we meant it.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has overseen an extensive crackdown on unauthorized disclosures coming out of the department. Beginning in March 2025, he has implemented new restrictions on journalists’ access to the Pentagon, ordered the extensive use of polygraphs to question civilian and military staff, and launched a joint task force with the Justice Department to expedite leak investigations.

On Nov. 3, Axios disclosed details from an internal Pentagon report that stated that Sylvia failed four polygraphs and admitted during interviews to leaking to reporters Greg Jaffe of The New York Times and Michael Gordon of The Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, Sylvia first shared information about Ukraine and Iran with Gordon in the fall of 2025, later meeting with the journalist at a diner in Arlington, Virginia, after the Journal and other outlets were barred from the Pentagon. He allegedly spoke to Jaffe only once, concerning the ouster of military leadership for an article published that November.

Parnell said in his statement that the matter, along with others, had been referred to the Justice Department for further investigation and potential prosecution.

“The president has no tolerance for leakers, so Sylvia’s termination is the first step in the accountability process, not the last,” a source told Axios on the condition of anonymity.