A report from the FBI background check on Pete Hegseth, chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was delivered to key members of the Senate Armed Services Committee late Friday, as confirmed by two sources familiar with the document. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and the ranking member, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), are the only senators who have received the report. While it is not mandatory for the 25-member committee to review Hegseth’s background check prior to the confirmation hearing scheduled for Tuesday, two committee sources described the delay in providing the report to the top members as “unprecedented.”
Democrats on the committee expressed frustration over the delay, suggesting that the FBI report may lack thoroughness, especially given the controversies surrounding Hegseth’s nomination. Some individuals who have worked closely with Hegseth in the past expressed concern that they have not been contacted by the FBI. The FBI declined to comment on the matter.
Since Trump announced his nomination of Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News host, he has faced various controversies and negative allegations. Some Democratic senators, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), raised concerns about Hegseth’s readiness for the position and called for access to the FBI report before the hearing.
Hegseth’s team reportedly informed most Democrats that they would only be available for meetings after the hearing, scheduled for Jan. 14. Despite reaching out to some committee Democrats before the holidays, Hegseth’s team had not completed the required paperwork or scheduled a meeting with Sen. Reed until later. Following a brief meeting with Reed, Sen. Reed expressed continued reservations about Hegseth’s qualifications for the role.
A Trump transition official dismissed the complaints from Democrats as partisan tactics to delay the confirmation process, emphasizing the importance of having a national security team in place promptly. The official stated that Hegseth and his team have actively engaged with Senate Democrats, including reaching out to several members well before Thanksgiving.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) reportedly declined a meeting with Hegseth, according to a source familiar with the situation.
“No one has met with any of the President-elect’s nominees. She wants to hear from them publicly, on the record,” a spokesperson for Hirono stated. According to an aide to a senator on multiple high-profile committees, Hegseth is the only nominee who has declined an invitation to meet. “It’s the art of the jam,” the aide told NBC News. The transition official defended Hegseth, stating, “Despite a poor response rate and multiple communications attacking the nominee before these Senators have even met with him, Mr. Hegseth is doing his best to meet with as many Democrat Senators as possible before and after his hearing.” Apart from Reed, Democrats on the panel will have to wait until after the hearing, and in some cases, after Trump’s inauguration, to meet with Hegseth, according to multiple Democrats. “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,” said a Democratic aide with experience in the confirmation process. The aide added, “I would have been shocked to hear someone ask the question, ‘Do we have [Mark] Esper’s background check? Or [Lloyd] Austin? Or Ash Carter?’”
Hegseth’s attorney Tim Parlatore stated that the FBI’s background check concluded earlier this week, but they had not received anything to review and did not expect to get a copy before the hearing. Media scrutiny has intensified on Hegseth’s resignation from leading two military organizations due to allegations of intoxication at work events, inappropriate behavior, and financial mismanagement. Hegseth has denied these claims, but key leaders affirmed that the FBI had not contacted them for the background check.
Republicans have been concerned about Hegseth’s management of the veterans’ groups, with Senate Armed Services Democrats requesting internal reports from these organizations.
“We have requested documents from the nominee but have not received them,” a Senate aide disclosed. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts expressed concerns in a letter to nominee Hegseth, citing his history of mismanagement in previous leadership roles. She highlighted the significant budget of nearly $850 billion under the department’s purview, representing more than half of the requested discretionary federal spending.
Despite reservations raised by Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota regarding Hegseth’s past conduct, particularly related to alcohol consumption, he informed NBC News that there have been no definitive “no” votes from Republican committee members. Cramer noted that while some members have yet to declare their stance, he remained optimistic about Hegseth’s prospects for confirmation.
