Washington – Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, returned to Capitol Hill on Monday as he tries to shore up support among Senate Republicans while facing allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement of veterans charities and drinking to excess.
Hegseth met Monday with at least two Republican senators who had expressed concern about the allegations. Speaking after the meetings, both Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina were more comfortable with Trump’s choice.
“As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on the truth, not anonymous sources,” Ernst said.
Graham shared a similar sentiment about those who anonymously denounced the former Fox News personality’s conduct.
“Allegations made about the financial management of veterans service organizations and personal misconduct should only be considered by the committee if they are supported by testimony before Congress, not by anonymous sources,” he said.
Hegseth has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Amid reports of his alleged conduct, several Republican senators he said they found the allegations “disturbing,” including Graham.
Before meeting with Hegseth on Monday, Ernst said she needed to hear more from him about his stance on women in combat and sexual assault in the military before deciding whether to support him. Ernst is a sexual assault survivor and military veteran.
He said Monday that he had received assurances from Hegseth about how the two would be handled if he leads the Pentagon.
“I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process. After our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women , based on quality and standards, not quotas, and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks,” his statement said.