Prior to being confirmed, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pledged that he would bring major changes to the Pentagon establishment.

An example of that came this week when Hegseth moved to suspend a high-ranking Department of Defense (DOD) official. 

Three high-ranking figures have been removed

According to Politico, Colin Carroll was placed on administrative leave Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into leaks.

In addition to being a Marine Corps Reserve officer, Carroll serves as chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg and recently worked at the defense contracting firm Anduril.

Politico recalled how he previously served as operating officer of the Pentagon’s former Joint Artificial Intelligence Center but was fired by the Biden administration for creating a hostile work environment.

He represents the third figure to be removed in recent days, with the others being senior adviser Dan Caldwell and Defense Department deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick.

Leaks concerned a variety of sensitive topics

Politico stated that the trio's departure comes as questions continue to be asked regarding a series of leaks from within the DOD.

These included details regarding a buildup of American troops along the Panama Canal as part of an effort to offset Chinese influence over the waterway.

Another leak concerned Elon Musk's visit to the Pentagon last month. The New York Times cited unnamed officials who said there had been plans for Musk to receive a confidential briefing on what would happen in the event of a war with China.

Meanwhile, other leaks concerned the deployment of another U.S. aircraft carrier to the Red Sea as well as a pause in the collection of intelligence for Ukraine.

Democrat calls on Hegseth to step down

New York Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman seized on the leaks earlier this week in a social media post, declaring that it is time for Hegseth's resignation.