Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, will face a Senate panel Tuesday for his confirmation hearing as he is expected to be questioned over allegations ranging from sexual assault to excessive drinking in the workplace.
Hegseth has denied all accusations and made several trips to Capitol Hill to shore up support since he was announced as Trump’s pick in November, including meeting with senators as recently as last week.
Here are some fast facts about Hegseth. For a full guide, read this story.
Who is Hegseth?: He is a decorated combat veteran who was deployed in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has earned two Bronze Star Medals for his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He went on to lead two veteran advocacy nonprofits, Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America, and joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014, eventually becoming a co-host of the weekend “Fox & Friends” show.
What are the allegations against him?: Hegseth was accused by a woman of sexually assaulting her in October 2017 following a speaking engagement at a conference held by a Republican women’s group in Monterey, California. According to a police report obtained by CNN, the woman told police that Hegseth physically blocked her from leaving a hotel room, took her phone and then sexually assaulted her even though she “remembered saying ‘no’ a lot.” Hegseth told police that their encounter was consensual and that he had repeatedly made sure the woman “was comfortable with what was going on between the two of them.”
-Hegseth was not charged with a crime in connection with the allegation.
Workplace behavior concerns: Hegseth has also been accused of mismanaging funds at Vets for Freedom, including inappropriate expenses such as parties one former associate of the group described as “trysts,” according to The New Yorker. Responding to the New Yorker’s reporting, a Hegseth adviser said in a statement to CNN, “We’re not going to comment on outlandish claims laundered through the New Yorker by a petty and jealous disgruntled former associate of Mr. Hegseth’s.”
History of controversial comments: Hegseth has on several occasions slammed the policies of the very department he could soon lead. He has criticized efforts to allow women into combat roles, accusing the military of lowering standards to allow women into those jobs. Hegseth said on a podcast last year that he took issue specifically with women in “physical, labor-intensive type jobs,” such as those with the Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Army Special Forces, Marine Forces Special Operations and jobs such as those in infantry, armor and artillery units.
