Monterey, California — The battle over President-elect Trump’s choose for Secretary of Protection, Pete Hegseth, could turn into a take a look at of loyalty for Republican stalwarts — a few of whom stood on the middle of a bid 10 years in the past to take away Hegseth as the top of a veterans’ charity over allegations of monetary mismanagement, repeated intoxication and sexual misconduct.
A kind of who led the trouble to oust Hegseth as head of the Involved Veterans of America in 2016 was Jessie Jane Duff, a Marine veteran who served as certainly one of President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 marketing campaign govt administrators, in line with a number of Republican insiders conversant in the occasions, all of whom spoke on the situation they not be named over concern of reprisals from these inside the social gathering. Duff sought Hegseth’s removing from management roles within the veterans’ group, CBS Information has realized.
Whereas she labored at Involved Veterans for America as a senior navy adviser, Duff allegedly complained about Hegseth’s frequent public intoxication, poor management and the poisonous work local weather he fostered inside the group, in line with Republican insiders with data of the matter. She additionally allegedly slighted Hegseth for his service within the Nationwide Guard, underscoring that he had solely been a “part-time” soldier and never a full-time active-duty servicemember, in line with Republican insiders who spoke to CBS Information.
Tax filings present Hegseth grew to become a director at Veterans for Freedom in 2006 and govt director in 2007. In 2008, filings present the group raised over $8.7 million in income — however spent over $9 million, together with vital sums on media buys and occasions and initiatives.
By 2010, tax filings present income had dropped to only underneath $265,000. Within the nonprofit’s 2011 submitting, Hegseth was listed as an “officer,” somewhat than its govt director.
Hegseth began main Involved Veterans for America in 2011. By 2016, the yr Hegseth resigned as govt director, filings present the group raised $15.9 million and listed $16.4 million in bills.
The next yr — after Hegseth stepped down — the nonprofit lowered its bills after “main packages developed within the final fiscal yr have been paused,” the tax filings mentioned.
The filings additionally confirmed Involved Veterans for America had employed Hegseth’s brother, Philip Hegseth, whereas he was nonetheless in faculty.
The New Yorker late Sunday night time printed new info gleaned from inner data and interviews with former staff of the group.
The journal revealed {that a} beforehand undisclosed “whistle-blower report” detailed allegations of sexual misconduct by Hegseth and different males at CVA, and repeated incidents of public intoxication whereas he was nonetheless married and serving within the Military Nationwide Guard.
CBS Information has realized the allegations contained within the seven-page-report originated with Duff and have been privately circulated to broader Republican circles exterior Involved Veterans for America in 2018, when Hegseth’s identify was floated for secretary of veterans affairs.
A supply near Hegseth advised CBS Information that the report had been anonymously despatched to Fox Information years in the past, allegedly “to try to get him fired,” asserting that Fox had seemed into it however decided it was “baseless.”
“Fox Information doesn’t have any report of receiving this report,” mentioned a community spokesperson.
The supply known as Duff “a disgruntled former worker” at CVA who pushed “false claims” about Hegseth to attempt to harm his tv profession. “She was jealous, as a result of she needed to get into TV,” mentioned the supply. Hegseth had fired Duff from Involved Veterans for America, in line with two sources.
In 2016, after staffers complained about Hegseth’s management of Involved Veterans of America, the billionaire Republican donors who funded the group, Charles and David Koch, compelled Hegseth to step down, sources advised CBS Information. He resigned in January 2016 in a transfer described by each Hegseth and the group as a mutual determination, dismissing rumors of a rift, in line with Army Occasions.
Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, denied all of the allegations towards his consumer.
As Hegseth walked by the Capitol, visiting the senators who will weigh in on his anticipated nomination to be protection chief, CBS Information questioned him Monday about why he had resigned from CVA. He stored strolling silently and didn’t reply. Hegseth additionally didn’t remark when requested if he was involved the newest allegations might derail his nomination as protection secretary.
Duff was his most outspoken critic in non-public circles till Hegseth was introduced as Trump’s choose for protection secretary, in line with the Republican sources who spoke with CBS Information.
However now, Duff publicly helps his impending nomination to steer the Protection Division and has defended his controversial opposition to girls serving in fight.
Contacted by CBS Information a number of occasions on Monday, Duff didn’t reply.
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Duff, a Newsmax analyst, served as an adviser for Involved Veterans for America whereas Hegseth helmed the group from 2013 till 2016. The group was fashioned in 2011 as a Koch-funded non-profit group known as “Vets for Financial Freedom Belief.”
The group primarily promotes conservative views within the arenas of each the Departments of Protection and Veterans Affairs, notably advocating for the latter to maneuver in direction of a privatized healthcare system.
Hegseth, the 44-year-old former co-host of “Fox & Associates Weekends” has confronted a barrage of scrutiny involving his private life and whether or not he has the expertise to handle the Protection Division, the biggest U.S. authorities company, with a funds of $842 billion, nearly 3 million staff and 750 navy installations all over the world.
Margaret Hoover, host of PBS’ “Firing Line” and a former adviser to Vets for Freedom, mentioned in an interview on CNN that Hegseth had managed the group “very poorly.” Hoover expressed doubt about his skill to run the sprawling Protection Division when he had struggled with a employees of lower than 10 individuals, and a funds of underneath $10 million.
“I do not know the way he will run a corporation with an $857 billion funds, and three million people, primarily based on what I noticed in these years,” she mentioned.
In response to CBS Information questions concerning the funds at Veterans for Freedom underneath his management, Hegseth merely mentioned, “I like working for the perfect within the navy, and I am privileged that the president of the USA would give me the chance to signify the perfect within the navy.”
The whistleblower report obtained by The New Yorker additionally detailed a number of incidents the place Hegseth was allegedly intoxicated on the job “to the purpose of needing to be carried out of the group’s occasions.”
When pressed by CBS Information on Capitol Hill about whether or not he was ever drunk whereas touring on the job, Hegseth replied, “Not gonna dignify that with a response.”
A supply near Hegseth acknowledged that individuals did “often” have an excessive amount of to drink at these occasions however maintained that the report’s claims about Hegseth are false.
“The concept a veterans group of fight veterans who’d just lately transitioned out of the navy would drink or have an excessive amount of to drink, that is not information,” they mentioned. “That is your complete enterprise mannequin of the VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars].”
The supply mentioned Hegseth has publicly acknowledged that he “drank an excessive amount of” prior to now, including: “That is not the type of life that Pete lives proper now. He actually has matured lots prior to now decade.”
Final month, it was revealed that Hegseth had secretly paid a monetary settlement to a lady who had accused him of raping her in 2017 at a Republican girls’s banquet on the Hyatt Regency in Monterey, Calif. Town of Monterey launched its 2017 investigation into Hegseth.
The accuser, who has not been publicly named, reported she felt as if she had been drugged and recalled repeatedly saying “no” whereas in a lodge room with Hegseth. She alleged that he prevented her from leaving and was on high of her. CBS Information doesn’t publicly identify people who’ve reported an alleged sexual assault until that particular person chooses to publicly determine themselves.
Timothy Parlatore, Hegseth’s lawyer, advised CBS Information beforehand: “This allegation was already investigated by the Monterey police division and so they discovered no proof for it.”
The Monterey Police Division forwarded its report concerning the alleged assault to the Monterey County District Lawyer’s Workplace for evaluate again in 2017. Monterey County District Lawyer Jeannine M. Pacioni mentioned final month her workplace “declined to file costs” in January 2018 as none have been “supported by proof past an affordable doubt.”
Hegseth denies the allegations and claims the encounter was consensual.
