Several GOP senators are pressing to see the FBI’s background check on Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s pick to be the next Defense secretary.
The pressure placed on the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee signals that the former Fox News host is still facing a tough battle for confirmation despite a full-court press from Trump’s team to win over senators in the last several weeks.
A congressional aide confirmed to The Hill that “a number” of senators are pushing to see the FBI background investigation on Hegseth, with “a handful of GOP senators” asking the panel’s ranking member, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), about it.
Politico was the first to report on the effort, naming Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) as seeking Hegseth’s background report. Neither office responded to a request for comment from The Hill.
The Senate Armed Services Committee, which will oversee Hegseth’s confirmation, typically limits access to the FBI background checks on nominees to its top two senators — currently Wicker and Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.). The lawmakers traditionally review the FBI reports without staff present, then consult with the administration should they want to release the documents to other senators.
But with reports emerging last month of allegations of sexual assault against Hegseth — as well as several stories claiming he abused alcohol and mismanaged funds while leading two veterans groups — Democrats and some Republicans have put pressure on Wicker and Reed to release the FBI report more widely.
Hegseth has denied all allegations, particularly a sexual assault claim from a 2017 encounter that was only revealed after his nomination was rolled out. He says the encounter was consensual and has frequented Capitol Hill in recent weeks to make his case to senators.
While no Republican senators have come out against Hegseth, many have expressed a desire for more information on accusations made against him, as well as more clarity on past controversial comments he has made, including that women shouldn’t serve in combat roles.
Among them are GOP Sens. Collins, Joni Ernst (Iowa), Tillis, and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).
Though Republicans will have 53 seats in the next Senate, Hegseth can only afford to lose three GOP votes should all Democrats and independents vote against him.
“I go back to the Kavanaugh hearing where it took a lot of time and a supplemental background investigation to get one of those two to actually vote for Kavanaugh,” Tillis said last week, referring to the Supreme Court confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “So there’s work to be done.”
The FBI investigation may be sped up to finish ahead of Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, expected on Jan. 14. Such investigations, which usually take weeks, examine an individual’s personal and professional history through interviews with associates and a review of financial records and any past legal issues.
Meanwhile, at least seven Senate Armed Services Democrats — Sens. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Tim Kaine (Va.) Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Jacky Rosen (Nev.) — said they want more information on Hegseth’s views on women in the military and documents related to past accusations against him.
In a letter sent to the Trump team on Tuesday, the senators expressed “deep concerns about whether Pete Hegseth’s attitudes toward women, including allegations of sexual assault and harassment, disqualify him to be the next Secretary of Defense.”
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