Mike Waltz, former US national security adviser, testified before the Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers prepared to vote on his appointment as the next US ambassador to the United Nations, MSNBC reported.
Waltz allegedly sought to downplay the scandal over leaked military information during his questioning by Senators Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Chris Coons (D-Delaware).
At one point, Waltz told Coons that using Signal complied with federal guidelines established under the Biden administration and emphasized that no classified material had been disclosed. He added that the White House had completed its inquiry, though he believed the Defense Department’s investigation was still underway.
"That engagement was driven by and recommended by the Cyber Security Infrastructure Security Agency, by the Biden administration," he told Coons, according to ABC News. "The use of Signal is not only as an encrypted app. It's not only authorized. It was recommended in Biden's, the Biden era, CISA guidance."
"We followed the recommendation - almost the demand to use end-to-end encryption - but there was no classified information shared," he continued.
Coons, Brooker question Waltz's use of Signal
Coons told Waltz that he "was hoping to hear from you that you had some sense of regret over sharing what was very sensitive, timely information about a military strike on a commercially available app that's not, as we both know, the appropriate way to share such critical information."
"Senator, I think where we have a fundamental disagreement is that there was no classified information on that, on that chat," Waltz said.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) noted that Pentagon investigations by both the Inspector General and the air force remain unresolved on whether classified material was improperly shared, though he did not accuse Waltz personally of disclosing sensitive information.
In response, Waltz said, “I can’t and shouldn’t comment on active investigations” at the Pentagon.
Kaine countered, stating that “the reality is there are two ongoing Pentagon investigations precisely aimed at independently determining whether classified details - or at least sensitive military plans - were improperly disclosed.
"He is a seasoned policy mind, a skilled negotiator with a track record of diligently pursuing American interests unapologetically and with the appropriate amount of caution and attention to detail that those things deserve," Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said as he introduced Waltz before the Senate.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said that Waltz would "exceed expectations" as the ambassador.
The Signal scandal
In March, Waltz mistakenly added the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic to a private Signal chat, which contained detailed information on the US's plans to strike Yemen's Houthis.
Waltz never offered to resign, despite discussions in the White House about whether or not he should.
Waltz privately admitted, contrary to public statements made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, and CIA Director William Burns, that classified information was shared in the chat.
Hegseth reportedly also shared the private plans in a group chat with his family, according to The New York Times.