5 Most Shocking Details From The New Yorker’s Pete Hegseth Whistleblower Report

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, is facing explosive allegations detailed in a never-before-reported whistleblower report detailing claims of drunken sexual misconduct during his tenure leading veteran advocacy organizations.

Hegseth, who previously helmed Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) from 2013 to 2016, was accused of fostering a workplace environment rife with sexism in a seven-page report compiled by CVA employees and sent to senior management in February 2015.

Over the weekend, The New Yorker profiled the allegations in an expose that raised further questions about his fitness for public office.

Here are the five most shocking allegations:

Louisiana Strip Club Chaos

During a CVA event in Louisiana, Hegseth reportedly took his team to a strip club, where he became so intoxicated he had to be restrained from joining the dancers on stage.

In late November, 2014, Hegseth and his team deployed to Louisiana for a U.S. Senate runoff. This is when, according to the whistle-blower complaint, Hegseth took the C.V.A. team to the strip club, where “he was so drunk he tried to get on the stage and dance with the strippers.”

A female C.V.A. associate, the report says, “had to get him off of the stage,” adding, “She had to intervene with security to prevent him from getting thrown out.” The whistle-blower continued, as if in disbelief, “A Fox News contributor, with the rank of captain (at the time) in the National Guard, and the CEO of a veterans’ organization . . . was in a strip club trying to dance with strippers.”

Female Staffer ‘Ostracized’ Over Allegations of Attempted Sexual Assault By Colleague

Among the most troubling claims comes from a female staffer who said she was assaulted by another man at the Louisiana strip club.

Meanwhile, the female staffer who had to restrain Hegseth at the strip club alleged that a different male staff member had attempted to sexually assault her there, according to the report. A C.V.A. manager, however, was described as dismissive, for arguing that her attacker had been drunk, and therefore shouldn’t be held responsible. According to the report, the female staffer took steps to file a complaint with the E.E.O.C., and C.V.A. hired outside counsel. The female staffer declined to be interviewed. But, according to a source aware of the case, the matter was settled with a payment to the staffer, concealed by a nondisclosure agreement.

As a result, the woman was “ostracized” and “experiencing reprisal” by the organization, which, the whistle-blower report said, “has become a hostile and intimidating working environment.” Another female staff member was also described as having been sexually harassed by a colleague, but was too intimidated to come forward “because she desperately needs her job.” The report declared, in bold print, “Fear of reprisal looms over every woman associated with the organization.”

Hateful Outburst: “Kill All Muslims!”

Hegseth’s behavior reportedly took a darker turn during a CVA event in Ohio, where, according to a former employee, he shouted hateful drunken chants.

On May 29, 2015, the staffer said, Hegseth and someone travelling with the group’s Defend Freedom Tour closed down the bar at the Sheraton Suites Hotel. The duo yelled “Kill All Muslims” multiple times, in what the staffer described as “a drunk and a violent manner.” Hegseth’s “despicable behavior,” he wrote, “embarrassed the entire organization.” He went on, “I personally was ashamed and… others were as well.” The staffer’s letter cited a second incident in which, he wrote, Hegseth “passed out” in the back of a party bus, then urinated in front of a hotel where C.V.A.’s team was staying.

Culture of Sexism

The report alleges that under Hegseth’s leadership, there was a pervasive culture of sexism and objectification.

The report also says that Hegseth, who was married at the time, and other members of his management team sexually pursued the organization’s female staffers, whom they divided into two groups—the “party girls” and the “not party girls.”

Donor Funds Used for ‘Partying’ and ‘Hookups’

Hegseth is accused of treating CVA’s finances as a “personal expense account” and funding lavish parties and excursions.

According to three knowledgeable sources, one of whom contributed to the whistle-blower report, Hegseth was forced to step down from the organization in part because of concerns about his mismanagement and abuse of alcohol on the job.

“Congratulations on Removing Pete Hegseth” is the subject line of an e-mail, obtained by The New Yorker, that was sent to Hegseth’s successor as president of the group, Jae Pak, on January 15, 2016. The e-mail, sent under a pseudonym by one of the whistle-blowers, included a copy of the report, and went on to say, “Among the staff, the disgust for Pete was pretty high. Most veterans do not think he represents them nor their high standard of excellence.” The e-mail also stated that Hegseth had “a history of alcohol abuse” and had “treated the organization funds like they were a personal expense account—for partying, drinking, and using CVA events as little more than opportunities to ‘hook up’ with women on the road.”

The revelations compound the controversy surrounding Hegseth, who has already been accused of settling a sexual assault allegation in 2017. With his confirmation pending, critics argue that his history of misconduct and mismanagement disqualifies him from leading the Department of Defense.