Pentagon nepotism fears as Pete Hegseth’s youthful brother given key adviser function | EUROtoday

Pete Hegseth, the present US Defense Secretary, has confirmed that his youthful brother, Phil Hegseth, holds a outstanding place throughout the Pentagon.

Phil Hegseth serves as a senior advisor to the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the Department of Defense.

This high-profile function has afforded Phil Hegseth distinctive experiences, together with conferences with a UFC champion, a go to to Guantanamo Bay, and at the moment, accompanying the Defense Secretary on his inaugural journey to the Indo-Pacific aboard the Pentagon’s 747 plane.

A 1967 federal nepotism legislation prohibits authorities officers from hiring, selling or recommending family to any civilian place over which they train management.

“Phil Hegseth, one of a number of talented DHS liaisons to DOD, is conducting touch points with U.S. Coast Guard officials on the Secretary’s Indo-Pacific trip,” which includes stops in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Japan, Wilson said in response to a query by The Associated Press.

Border security, the responsibility of DHS, has been highlighted as one of the top priorities for President Donald Trump, and thousands of U.S. troops have been deployed to the border to assist DHS with curbing illegal immigration.

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It’s common for the Defense Department and other federal agencies to have liaisons. Each military branch sends liaisons to Capitol Hill. The Pentagon, State Department and others all use interagency liaisons to more closely coordinate and keep tabs on policy.

But it is not common for those senior-level positions to be filled by family members of the Cabinet heads, said Michael Fallings, a managing partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC, which specializes in federal employment law.

Based on Phil Hegseth’s publicly available resume, his past experience includes founding his own podcast production company, Embassy and Third, and working on social media and podcasts at The Hudson Institute.

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It’s not the first time Phil Hegseth has worked alongside his older brother. When Pete Hegseth was CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, a nonprofit that fell into financial difficulty during his time there, he paid his brother $108,000 to do media relations for the organization, according to federal tax records.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Phil Hegseth’s job title and said this “interagency mission is part of Mr. Hegseth’s preview,” presumably that means “purview.”

DHS stated Phil Hegseth, whereas on the Indo-Pacific journey, has been assembly with representatives from Homeland Security Investigations, the legislation enforcement arm of the division, “and other DHS components and interagency partners.”

The Pentagon did not respond to a request to interview Phil Hegseth. Neither the Pentagon nor the Department of Homeland Security has responded to queries about his qualifications for the job..

He has been his brother’s close ally, appearing alongside him throughout his fraught confirmation process in the Senate. In photos, as Pete Hegseth walked the halls of Congress, Phil Hegseth is often right there by his side.,

He now has offices just down the hall from him along the Pentagon’s E-Ring, according to a U.S. official familiar with the office location, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

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Multiple photos posted by the defense secretary’s official Flickr account show Phil Hegseth at the secretary’s table as he met with officials or high-profile guests, including Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Conor McGregor this month.

He traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with Pete Hegseth in February.

Nepotism laws guide government hiring

An image of an office organizational chart obtained by The Associated Press shows Phil Hegseth in a small group of officials directly beneath his brother, with Phil Hegseth labeled as a senior adviser to the defense secretary.

Further review of Phil Hegseth’s hiring would be needed to determine if it ran afoul of federal nepotism laws, “but it does not pass the smell test,” Fallings stated.

However, if he’s wholly employed by DHS, that “would keep away from a nepotism violation, except it may be proven that (Pete) Hegseth was concerned within the hiring or had asserted his authority to assist rent his brother.”

DHS didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon whether or not it wholly employs Phil Hegseth, whether or not he’s paid and if that’s the case at what federal pay degree.

There are additionally some exceptions to the nepotism legislation for the president’s workplace. In his first time period, Trump appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner to function his senior adviser. When he was president, Bill Clinton named first girl Hillary Clinton to serve on his well being care activity drive.

In the Biden administration, Jake Sullivan served as nationwide safety adviser to the president whereas his brother, Tom Sullivan, was deputy chief of workers for coverage on the State Department.