Dan Caldwell Hired as ODNI Adviser After Leak Clearance

Washington, D.C. - Dan Caldwell, a former top aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who was dismissed last year amid accusations of leaking classified information, has been hired as an adviser in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to administration officials familiar with the matter. The appointment, under Director Tulsi Gabbard, places Caldwell in a role supporting the coordination of 18 federal intelligence agencies and the preparation of the president's daily intelligence briefing.

The hiring comes nearly a year after an investigation that began in April 2025, when Caldwell, along with Pentagon officials Colin Carroll and Darin Selnick, were escorted from the building by security and publicly accused by Hegseth of leaking sensitive details. Hegseth, in a Fox News interview at the time, described the three as "often a leaker" and suggested evidence of wrongdoing had already surfaced, though he provided no specifics. "If those people are exonerated, fantastic," Hegseth said. "We don't think, based on what we understand, that it's going to be a good day for a number of those individuals because of what was found in the investigation."