Top U.S. Nuclear Chief Caught Leaking Sensitive Information While On Date

The U.S. Army has placed a senior civilian official overseeing nuclear and chemical safety programs on administrative leave after an undercover video surfaced showing him allegedly discussing sensitive national security matters in a public setting.

Andrew Hugg, identified as the Army’s Branch Chief of Nuclear & Chemical Surety, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday following the release of the footage by O’Keefe Media Group. The video, recorded at a restaurant, shows Hugg speaking candidly with an undercover journalist about U.S. military capabilities and policy.

Hugg oversees safety and reliability protocols for the Army’s nuclear and chemical programs, though he is not part of the operational chain of command for U.S. nuclear forces. Some social media posts had inaccurately described him as the “U.S. Nuclear Chief.”

According to the video and its accompanying description, Hugg discussed U.S. possession of nerve agents, referencing Sarin and a storage location in Maryland. He also claimed a U.S. Army chemist recently died from exposure to a chemical agent due to safety issues and referred to civilian casualties from U.S. airstrikes in Iran as “collateral damage.”

The footage further shows Hugg discussing hypothetical U.S. actions involving Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s Supreme Leader, stating that if he “doesn’t change his ways,” the United States might target him. He also commented on nuclear policy, saying, “We’re not going to nuke anybody,” while describing aspects of nuclear decision-making.

Hugg also made personal remarks to the undercover journalist, at one point joking that she might be “intelligence” and telling her her eyes had “mesmerized” him.

O’Keefe described the exchange as raising “serious questions about this official’s judgment [and] security,” and said his organization contacted the Pentagon and the Army before publishing the video.

The Army confirmed Hugg has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. “We have placed Mr. Hugg on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough investigation into this matter,” Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said.

Officials have not announced any charges, and the Pentagon has not released additional details. The Army has not linked Hugg’s removal to any policy dispute, though the episode comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

Hugg’s role focuses on surety — ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of nuclear and chemical assets — rather than operational command or strategic nuclear policy. Still, officials in such positions are subject to strict protocols governing the handling of sensitive information, even in informal settings.

Whether Hugg violated those protocols remains under investigation. The Pentagon has not said whether any of the information discussed in the video was classified.

The case remains under review.

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