Pentagon chief causes controversy after taking wife to secret talks

It was revealed that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took his wife Jennifer Hegseth with him to secret military talks. According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), these meetings discussed classified information and the minister's wife was the only personal companion present.

Secret meetings and Jennifer Hegseth's participation

The first meeting took place on March 6 at the Pentagon. The issue of the US stopping the supply of intelligence information to Ukraine was discussed. The meeting was attended by British Defense Secretary John Healey and the British Chief of Staff, Admiral Anthony Radakin.

The second meeting was held in February at NATO headquarters in Brussels. It was attended by representatives of the US-led Contact Group, which includes about 50 countries providing military assistance to Ukraine.

According to the WSJ, such meetings always discuss classified information and are not made public. Jennifer Hegseth does not have the legal right to participate in such discussions, because she is not a Pentagon employee.

Criticism and concerns

Representatives of both parties in the US Congress have been skeptical of the Pentagon chief taking his wife to secret meetings. They have noted that this situation could pose a threat to national security.

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican Roger Wicker, and Democrat Jack Reed, have asked the Pentagon inspector general to conduct a formal investigation into the matter.

The Hegseths' political influence

Jennifer Hegseth is a former Fox News producer and has been a constant companion to her husband throughout his political career. In addition, Pete Hegseth's brother, Philip Hegseth, also accompanies the secretary on official trips. He worked at the Hudson Institute think tank and recently became a liaison officer at the US Department of Defense.

According to the Pentagon, Philip Hegseth visited the Guantanamo Bay military base in February and participated in a meeting with Conor McGregor at the Pentagon.

Have such cases occurred in history?

WSJ analysts note that such cases have been observed in previous administrations, but are very rare. For example, Mike Pompeo was criticized for taking his wife Susan Pompeo to business meetings.

In an interview with the WSJ, Chuck Hagel, the Secretary of Defense under Barack Obama, called this situation a worrying signal for the Pentagon. According to him, it is a great risk for non-government officials to participate in secret meetings.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth's participation in secret meetings at NATO and the Pentagon with his wife Jennifer Hegseth has caused a lot of discussion in the United States. Currently, the issue of conducting an investigation into this situation is on the agenda. If this situation is found to be in violation of national security regulations, Hegseth could face significant criticism and even removal from office. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”