Washington Just days before his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, two people with direct knowledge of the report claim that the top senators on the Armed Services Committee received an FBI background check on President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, late Friday.
According to the two individuals, the report is solely in the possession of two senators: Ranking Member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
Although Hegseth’s background check does not necessary need to be reviewed by the 25-member committee in order to move forward with the nomination hearing, two committee sources who are acquainted with the procedure said it was unusual that the report took so long to reach the panel’s senior members.
The FBI report may not be comprehensive, especially for a Cabinet pick who has been embroiled in controversy, according to Democrats on the committee that NBC News talked with, who have expressed frustration about the delay. Two people who were contacted by Congress about Hegseth and one who had previously worked closely with him told NBC News they are worried the FBI has not gotten in touch with them.
An FBI spokesman chose not to comment.
The former Fox News personality and military veteran has been embroiled in a number of scandals and unfavorable accusations ever since Trump declared his intention to nominate Hegseth.
On Friday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told NBC News, “I don’t think I’m going to be allowed to look at the FBI investigation before the hearing.” Additionally, I believe it is most likely incomplete. Even though an FBI probe isn’t the end-all, we’re not permitted to look at it.
The FBI background investigation should handle Hegseth’s serious personal concerns, according to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., but the main issue, in my opinion, is that he doesn’t appear to be equipped for this position in any manner.
After Hegseth’s team informed most Democrats that he would only be available to meet after the hearing, Kelly, like other Democrats on the Armed Services Committee interviewed by NBC News, stated that he would want to read the report prior to the hearing.
According to three Democratic aides who spoke to NBC News, Hegseth’s staff responded by saying they would meet them on January 15, the day following the hearing.
Several Democratic aides claim that although Hegseth’s staff contacted a few committee Democrats in the days before Christmas and Hanukkah, they had not yet filed the required paperwork or set up a meeting with Reed, the panel’s senior Democrat.
at a statement following their brief meeting at Hegseth’s office on Wednesday, Reed said that the encounter did not allay his worries regarding Mr. Hegseth’s lack of credentials and that it left more questions than answers.
The accusations, according to a Trump transition official, are partisan rhetoric intended to stall the confirmation process at a crucial moment when President Trump needs to have his national security staff in place on Day One.
According to the person, Mr. Hegseth and his group have been actively contacting all SASC Democrats—and actually, all Senate Democrats—for weeks. Long before Thanksgiving, we even contacted a number of SASC Democrats, and I would like to point out that during the month of December, those offices either did not reply or refused to meet with Mr. Hegseth.
A source close to the situation said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, turned down a meeting with Hegseth.
None of the nominees for president-elect have met with Senator Hirono. According to a Hirono representative, she wants to speak with them in public and on the record.
Hegseth is the only nominee who has turned down an invitation to meet with a senator who serves on several prominent committees, according to an aide to the senator. This assistant informed NBC News that it’s the art of the jam.
However, the transition official retaliated, saying that Mr. Hegseth is making every effort to meet with as many Democratic senators as possible both before and after his hearing, despite a low response rate and numerous letters disparaging the candidate before these senators have even met with him.
According to many Democrats who disclosed their plans, Democrats on the panel, including Reed, will not be able to meet with Hegseth until after the hearing and, in certain situations, after Trump’s inauguration.
A longstanding Democratic aide on the panel with extensive knowledge of the confirmation process throughout multiple administrations stated, “I can’t think of any other secretary of defense nominee who has not made themselves available to all members on the committee of jurisdiction.”
Furthermore, it has been at least 20 years since we had a SecDef nominee that raised concerns about the FBI background check. The assistant continued, “This is standard stuff.” If someone had asked, “Do we have [Mark] Esper’s background check?” I would have been shocked. Or Austin [Lloyd]? or Carter Ash?
According to what Hegseth’s lawyer Tim Parlatore told NBC News, the FBI’s background investigation was completed earlier this week. He said that the FBI had not provided anything for Hegseth’s team to study and that they had not anticipated receiving a copy prior to the hearing.
The reasons for Hegseth’s forced resignation as the head of two military organizations, Concerned Veterans for America and Vets for Freedom, have been the subject of significant media attention. Hegseth was accused of financial mismanagement, frequent drinking at work functions, and other inappropriate behavior, according to a piece published in the New Yorker on December 1. These accusations have been refuted by Hegseth.
Key executives who had previously worked for the organizations, however, stated that the FBI had not contacted them to engage in a Hegseth background check as of this week or as recently as Friday afternoon.
In the case of Veterans for Freedom, a former employee claims that after the organization ran out of funds under Hegseth’s leadership, Republican megadonor Paul Singer, one of its biggest financial backers, ordered a financial audit, or forensic accounting, at the organization in 2009. Singer, two Veterans for Freedom advisers, political adviser Dan Senor, and political analyst Margaret Hoover were among those who received copies of the audit, which took months to complete and found around half a million dollars in debt.
According to the former employee, following the audit, Singer urged Brian Wise, who leads Military Families United, another organization that supports Blue and Gold Star families, to take over Veterans for Freedom and integrate it into his organization. Hegseth has not publicly addressed the audit.
An email to Elliott Investment Management, the company Singer established and where Senor is a partner, was not immediately answered. Wise refused to comment on Hegseth’s nomination and stated that the FBI had not gotten in touch with him.
Concerns have been voiced by Senate Armed Services Democrats regarding Hegseth’s management of these veteran organizations.
Your history of egregious mismanagement of the companies you have led raises questions about your capacity to oversee a department with a nearly $850 billion budget. More than half of the requested discretionary government expenditure is covered by Hegseth, according to a letter sent this week by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
There are no known Republican votes on the committee, however, according to Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who expressed reservations about Hegseth’s record, particularly his drinking, to NBC News on Thursday.
“There are undoubtedly some people who haven’t responded with a yes or no,” Cramer continued. However, I believe he will be alright.