​Pete Hegseth's chief of staff spread drinking rumors at Pentagon for one unusual reason

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's top aide reportedly gossiped with his colleagues that he and the Pentagon boss had worn disguises and went out for drinks together — an alleged plot to try to discover potential leakers inside the department, according to a report Friday from The New York Post.

Ricky Buria, Hegseth's chief of staff, started spreading the rumor in early 2025 and created a story that he and Hegseth had evaded the secretary's security detail while at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Pentagon City, the outlet reported.