Democrats are raising concerns about the FBI background check into Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense. They worry that important details may be left out before his confirmation hearing.
Hegseth, a former host, has become a controversial nominee. Many question his qualifications to lead the Department of Defense, and there are allegations about his personal life. This could make his confirmation in the Senate challenging.
On Friday, FBI officials met with key members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss Hegseth’s background check. According to The New York Times, Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican, and Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat, each spoke with the FBI for over an hour. However, the FBI only shared the results with these two senators and not the rest of the committee. This has caused concern among Democrats who fear they won’t have enough information for the confirmation hearing.
Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat, said that not having access to the FBI report gave the impression of a cover-up. He also mentioned that the information he had seen about Hegseth could be damaging.
There are reports about Hegseth, including accusations of mismanaging veterans’ charities and being publicly drunk. In 2017, he was also investigated for an alleged sexual assault in California, but no charges were filed. Hegseth said the encounter was consensual.
Hegseth has a military background, having served in the Army National Guard. He graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and went on to serve in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He received two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman Badge during his service.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, also stated that she wanted to see Hegseth’s FBI background check, his financial records, and any possible lawsuits or allegations against him before deciding on his nomination.
Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said that the sexual assault allegation was thoroughly investigated and that Hegseth was cleared of any wrongdoing. He added that this should not affect the confirmation process.
Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for January 14 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.
