Pete Hegseth accused of FBI check ‘cover-up’ as he faces bombshell questioning on sex scandals

Democratic lawmakers are furious that they were denied access to an FBI background check on Donald Trump’s Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth, with one likening it to a “cover-up.”

Hegseth, a Princeton graduate who served in the U.S. Army during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan before later joining Fox News, is best known for his conservative, edgy views on the cable network’s weekend shows.

Several scandalous reports about Hegseth’s drinking habits, alleged sexual misconduct and rumors that he mismanaged a nonprofit organization for veterans have concerned lawmakers charged with overseeing his nomination.

Despite denying wrongdoing, the nominee for defense secretary has few if any Democratic supporters in the Senate, where his confirmation hearings will take place this week.

Hegseth was announced as Trump’s pick for the Pentagon in November, but the FBI gave their report on the nominee to the Senate Armed Services Chairman and the committee’s top Democrat, Jack Reed, just days before the hearing. which led to unrest among some senators.

Normally, FBI reports on Cabinet nominees are only shared with the chairman and ranking member, but now Democrats are clamoring to get their hands on the elusive FBI file that could contain damning information about Hegseth ahead of his confirmation on Tuesday.

“Cursed is an understatement,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., of information he heard about Hegseth that may or may not have been in the FBI file.

He continued, saying Wicker and Reed’s withholding of the FBI file prior to the hearing creates the “appearance of a cover-up.”

Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet in some of his Instagram photos

Hegseth would be tasked with overseeing 1.3 million U.S. military personnel, nearly 800,000 reserve soldiers and 770,000 civilian Pentagon employees.

In a letter Blumenthal sent to Hegseth last week, the Democrat demanded a full investigation into the veterans organizations the nominee led.

He also blasted Hegseth for “not making himself available to meet with me and my Democratic colleagues prior to his nomination hearing.”

The file may contain further details about a 2017 incident in which Hegseth allegedly groped several women at a hotel in Monterey, California.

Police investigated but never filed charges against the then-Fox News host. And Hegseth has firmly denied all allegations against him.

The report, issued by the city of Monterey, California, describes an allegedly “highly intoxicated” Hegseth groping multiple women at a hotel in the early morning hours of October 8, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa.

In one particularly egregious incident at a Louisiana strip club, Hegseth tried to join dancers on stage and had to be physically restrained, according to a report by The New Yorker.

Another bombshell report indicated that Hegseth’s Fox News colleagues were concerned about his drinking, indicating that it was affecting his job performance.

“I need to see his FBI background check, we need to see his financial disclosures,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters last week.

Hegseth and his wife Rauchet with Trump

Amid the sexual misconduct allegations, Hegseth was accompanied by his wife on his trips to Capitol Hill

“And we need to be aware of any other potential lawsuits he may face, any other charges he may face,” the Democrat and military veteran continued.

Duckworth admitted she doubts she will be able to review the FBI report before Hegseth’s hearing.

“I also think it’s probably not comprehensive,” she told NBC News. “An FBI investigation isn’t the most important thing, but even that we shouldn’t look at it.”

What exactly the FBI report says remains unclear, although it may contain more about the numerous allegations against Hegseth.

“Across the aisle, people want to see the FBI background check,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said this weekend about the nominee’s record.

Hegseth is scheduled to appear before the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET.