Senate panel quietly seeking more information on Pete Hegseth ahead of confirmation hearings: sources

Following reports of alleged impropriety on the part of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee Pete Hegseth to lead the Defense Department, top Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee have quietly made a request for additional information from the veterans organization that Hegseth once headed as well the district attorney in Monterey County, California, according to communications reviewed by ABC News.

The committee appears to be delving deeper into recently reported allegations of a sexual assault in 2017, as well as allegations of financial misconduct on the part of Hegseth, both of which Hegseth has denied.

The allegations have created an uphill climb for the former Fox News host, who can only afford to lose the votes of three Senate Republicans when his confirmation vote comes in the coming weeks.

The committee’s requests, filed in early December, call for the documents to be submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee no later than Monday, Jan. 6, just over a week before Hegseth appears before the panel for his public confirmation hearing due out January 14th.

The requests reviewed by ABC News show that the top Republican on the committee, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and the top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., sought additional information from the Monterey County district attorney related to allegations sexual assault allegations made against Hegseth in 2017 and first reported in November, after Trump announced Hegseth as his pick for Defense Department.

Monterey police released a report last month detailing how a woman told investigators in October 2017 that she met Hegseth at an event afterparty at a California hotel, where both had been drinking, and claimed he sexually assaulted her.

When police contacted Hegseth as part of their investigation, he denied the allegation and “stated that the engagement…was mutual,” the police report said.

No charges were filed, although Hegseth subsequently paid the woman as part of a settlement agreement, which Hegseth’s lawyer said was only because Hegseth feared his career would be damaged if her allegations became public. The agreement said Hegseth did not admit any wrongdoing in the matter.

Although the police report was released in November, sources said members of the Senate Armed Services Committee were looking for evidence beyond the information contained in the report, as well as documents that contained legal analysis or recommendations.

The Monterey County District Attorney responded to the committee’s request on Dec. 20, telling the committee that the office had no additional evidence in the case beyond the publicly available police report, according to a letter from the DA’s office to the committee. which was obtained by ABC News.

However, prosecutors noted that some of the other records requested by the committee included protected work by attorneys, although they only had a case summary and a memo declining to prosecute Hegseth due to her protected status.

An attorney for Hegseth, Tim Parlatore, told ABC News that Hegseth asked the DA’s office in November to release the documents they were withholding. In response to that request, which was reviewed by ABC News, the DA’s office told Hegseth’s team that the records were exempt from disclosure.

Spokespeople for Wicker and Reed declined to comment to ABC News.

In an interview with conservative media personality and former Fox News host Megyn Kelly in early December, Hegseth admitted to being in a hotel room with the woman but denied raping her.

“Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I was honest about this encounter, starting with law enforcement,” he said when asked if he raped a woman.

“I may have been drinking, but I was alert enough to remember every single detail,” he said. “And I’m not here to say that my behavior was good – you know, being in a hotel room with someone who, you know, isn’t with the person you’re with is not OK . I stand by that and I had to come to terms with it and that was difficult.”

The senators are also seeking information from Concerned Veterans for America, a veterans organization of which Hegseth was once CEO, following allegations in a New Yorker article that Hegseth engaged in financial mismanagement and sexist behavior at the helm of that organization. Hegseth has largely rejected the allegations.

The committee has requested all documents related to Hegseth’s employment, all financial records and tax returns related to his leadership position with the organization, and all written records relating to Hegseth’s alleged misconduct or wrongdoing.

A representative for Concerned Veterans for America did not respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.

Parlatore, Hegseth’s attorney, maintained his client was innocent and said Hegseth was “fully cooperating with all of the committee’s requests for information.”

Trump publicly supported Hegseth last month after allegations of misconduct initially gave Hegseth a rocky reception on Capitol Hill.

“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. He will be a fantastic, energetic Secretary of Defense,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Pete is a WINNER and there’s nothing you can do about that!!!”

Wicker, who will oversee Hegseth’s nomination hearing before the Armed Services Committee, has repeatedly signaled that he is interested in conducting a thorough review of the nominee.

In early December, when there was speculation that Hegseth might not undergo a traditional FBI background check, Wicker told ABC News that he would prefer such a background check to be conducted.

The Republican said the committee is at this point “reviewing the way it’s traditionally done and gathering information about who actually orders the FBI background check.”

When pressed by ABC News about a background check on Hegseth, Wicker said, “I would prefer a full background check, yes.”

According to his lawyer, Hegseth has since been subjected to a full FBI check.

He has also met with several senators on Capitol Hill, including Wicker, and recently appeared to receive support.

Wicker has not yet publicly endorsed Hegseth, but after their meeting he said he thought Hegseth was in “pretty good shape” regarding his confirmation.