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Sen. Jack Reed (RI), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, that he is unqualified and lacks the necessary character to lead the nation’s armed forces. .
“I do not believe you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job. We must acknowledge the relevant public reports against you,” Reed said in an opening statement at Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, which began at 9 a.m.: 30 am on Tuesday morning.
Reed said committee members should pay close attention to allegations of sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement against Hegseth in recent years.
“We must acknowledge the relevant public reports against you. Various sources, including your own writings, implicate you in ignoring the laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist comments about men and women in uniform, abuse of alcohol, sexual assault, sexual harassment and other issues of concern.
“I have reviewed many of these allegations and find them extremely alarming,” he added.
“In fact, the entirety of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, let alone being confirmed as secretary of defense,” Reed said.
Reed noted that he has voted for the previous eight nominees to serve as secretary of defense who have appeared before the Armed Services panel, but noted that the streak is about to end.
“I have voted for all of your predecessors, including those in the first Trump administration. Unfortunately, you lack the character and composure to serve as Secretary of Defense,” Reed said.
Hegseth sat through Reed’s scathing criticism without showing much emotion, while his wife sat directly behind him in the sprawling hearing room of the Dirksen Senate building.
Reed also expressed concern about Hegseth’s leadership of two advocacy groups, Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America.
He highlighted reports that Hegseth’s management of both organizations was plagued by allegations of financial mismanagement.
Reed said that every year that Hegseth led Veterans for Freedom, the group’s expenses “far exceeded” its income “until the organization went bankrupt.”
Citing public reports, Reed said an independent forensic accountant reviewed the group’s finances and “discovered evidence of serious financial mismanagement.”
He said the accounting investigation was not made available to any government agency, which he later described as an alarming lack of transparency.
And Reed focused on Hegseth’s leadership of Concerned Veterans for America from 2011 to 2016.
“During those five years, tax records show that the organization spent more than it took in. Equally troubling are reports that it incurred a significant amount of debt for social events and parties filled with excessive consumption of alcohol and questionable personal behavior,” he said.
Updated at 11:20 am
