Monterey, California — The battle over President-elect Trump’s choose for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, could turn into a check 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.
One of those that led the hassle to oust Hegseth as head of the Concerned 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 government administrators, in response to 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 throughout the social gathering. Duff sought Hegseth’s removing from management roles within the veterans’ group, CBS News has realized.
While she labored at Concerned 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 throughout the group, in response to Republican insiders with data of the matter. She additionally allegedly slighted Hegseth for his service within the National Guard, underscoring that he had solely been a “part-time” soldier and never a full-time active-duty servicemember, in response to Republican insiders who spoke to CBS News.
Tax filings present Hegseth grew to become a director at Veterans for Freedom in 2006 and government 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 simply underneath $265,000. In the nonprofit’s 2011 submitting, Hegseth was listed as an “officer,” slightly than its government director.
Hegseth began main Concerned Veterans for America in 2011. By 2016, the 12 months Hegseth resigned as government director, filings present the group raised $15.9 million and listed $16.4 million in bills.
The following year — after Hegseth stepped down — the nonprofit decreased its bills after “main packages developed within the final fiscal 12 months had been paused,” the tax filings stated.
The filings additionally confirmed Concerned Veterans for America had employed Hegseth’s brother, Philip Hegseth, whereas he was nonetheless in school.
The New Yorker late Sunday night time published new data gleaned from inner information 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 Army National Guard.
CBS News has realized the allegations contained within the seven-page-report originated with Duff and had been privately circulated to broader Republican circles exterior Concerned Veterans for America in 2018, when Hegseth’s identify was floated for secretary of veterans affairs.
A supply near Hegseth informed CBS News that the report had been anonymously despatched to Fox News years in the past, allegedly “to try to get him fired,” asserting that Fox had regarded into it however decided it was “baseless.”
“Fox News doesn’t have any file of receiving this report,” stated a community spokesperson.
The supply known as Duff “a disgruntled former worker” at CVA who pushed “false claims” about Hegseth to attempt to damage his tv profession. “She was jealous, as a result of she wished to get into TV,” stated the supply. Hegseth had fired Duff from Concerned Veterans for America, in response to two sources.
In 2016, after staffers complained about Hegseth’s management of Concerned Veterans of America, the billionaire Republican donors who funded the group, Charles and David Koch, pressured Hegseth to step down, sources informed CBS News. 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 response to Military Times.
Hegseth’s legal professional, Tim Parlatore, denied all of the allegations in opposition to his consumer.
As Hegseth walked via the Capitol, visiting the senators who will weigh in on his anticipated nomination to be protection chief, CBS News 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 personal circles till Hegseth was introduced as Trump’s choose for protection secretary, in response to the Republican sources who spoke with CBS News.
But now, Duff publicly helps his impending nomination to steer the Defense Department and has defended his controversial opposition to girls serving in fight.
Contacted by CBS News a number of instances on Monday, Duff didn’t reply.
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Duff, a Newsmax analyst, served as an adviser for Concerned 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 Economic Freedom Trust.”
The group primarily promotes conservative views within the arenas of each the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, significantly advocating for the latter to maneuver in the direction of a privatized healthcare system.
Hegseth, the 44-year-old former co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekends” has confronted a barrage of scrutiny involving his private life and whether or not he has the expertise to handle the Defense Department, the most important U.S. authorities company, with a price range of $842 billion, nearly 3 million staff and 750 navy installations around the globe.
Margaret Hoover, host of PBS’ “Firing Line” and a former adviser to Vets for Freedom, stated in an interview on CNN that Hegseth had managed the group “very poorly.” Hoover expressed doubt about his capacity to run the sprawling Defense Department when he had struggled with a employees of lower than 10 individuals, and a price range of underneath $10 million.
“I do not understand how he’ll run a corporation with an $857 billion price range, and three million people, primarily based on what I noticed in these years,” she stated.
In response to CBS News questions concerning the funds at Veterans for Freedom underneath his management, Hegseth merely stated, “I really like working for the very best within the navy, and I’m privileged that the president of the United States would give me the chance to symbolize the very best within the navy.”
The whistleblower report acquired 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 News 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 folks 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 {that 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 stated. “That’s your entire enterprise mannequin of the VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars].”
The supply stated Hegseth has publicly acknowledged that he “drank an excessive amount of” previously, including: “That’s not the form of life that Pete lives proper now. He definitely has matured quite a bit previously decade.”
Last 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. The metropolis of Monterey released 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 prime of her. CBS News doesn’t publicly identify people who’ve reported an alleged sexual assault until that individual chooses to publicly determine themselves.
Timothy Parlatore, Hegseth’s legal professional, informed CBS News beforehand: “This allegation was already investigated by the Monterey police division and so they discovered no proof for it.”
The Monterey Police Department forwarded its report concerning the alleged assault to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office for evaluate again in 2017. Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni stated final month her workplace “declined to file costs” in January 2018 as none had been “supported by proof past an inexpensive doubt.”
Hegseth denies the allegations and claims the encounter was consensual.
