US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took his wife, former Fox News producer Jennifer Hegseth, and his brother Philip to several meetings with foreign military colleagues where confidential information was discussed.
Points of attention
- Pete Hegseth's decision to include his wife and brother in confidential meetings at the Pentagon and NATO headquarters has raised serious concerns about security protocols being violated.
- The presence of relatives at high-level discussions with foreign military colleagues has sparked outrage among employees and questioned the integrity of the information shared.
- Jennifer Hegseth's access to classified information during these meetings has come under scrutiny, posing a potential threat to security and trust within the defense community.
Hegset brings relatives to meetings where confidential information is discussed
It is known that Jennifer Hegseth was present at the February meeting of defense ministers at NATO headquarters, during which the Contact Group on Defense Issues for Ukraine also met.
The wife of the US Secretary of Defense was also spotted at a meeting on March 6 at the Pentagon with British Defense Secretary John Healy and British Chief of the General Staff Admiral Tony Radakin.
According to WSJ sources, some foreign participants in the meetings did not know who Jennifer Hegset was; others were surprised by her presence but did not express open objections.
Although Hegset has the authority to grant outsiders a certain level of access to classified information discussed in meetings with foreign colleagues, it is unclear whether he did it for his wife.
Pentagon sources confirmed to the publication that Jennifer Hegseth is not an employee of the US Department of Defense. And Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded to the WSJ that "it is quite clear to me that your story will be full of inaccuracies and will not be written in good faith."
Hegseth's younger brother, Philip, who produces conservative podcasts and recently started working for the US Department of Homeland Security, also accompanies the Pentagon chief to some meetings.
The two traveled to Guantanamo together in February and are currently on a tour of US Asian allies.
The WSJ report comes amid heightened attention to Pete Hegseth's role in a Signal messenger chat room that shared intelligence about the US military operation in Yemen — and where The Atlantic journalist was mistakenly added.
