Hegseth’s spouse’s outstanding function in Pentagon triggers concern | EUROtoday
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s spouse is inflicting concern amongst federal officers for her reportedly near-constant presence along with her husband as he offers with delicate navy plans and has inappropriately introduced her alongside to conferences with lawmakers and a minimum of one overseas official.
Hegseth reportedly shared details about navy operations in opposition to the Houthis in a second Signal group chat that included his spouse, Jennifer Rauchet, his brother and his private lawyer, Tim Parlatore, in line with a New York Times report over the weekend.
Hegseth’s brother and lawyer have officers roles within the Defense Department; Rauchet, a former Fox News producer, doesn’t.
Ruachet has utilized for safety clearance, however the White House has refused to say if it was granted, CNN famous.
Hegseth insists the knowledge that “was shared over Signal, [previously] and now, however you characterize it, was informal, unclassified coordination, for media coordination, other things.”
Yet navy consultants have cautioned that discussing a navy strike is assessed and must be intently guarded to keep away from tipping off an enemy in a hacked name to plans that might have value American fighters’ lives.
Just weeks in the past National Security Adviser Mike Waltz inadvertently added The Atlantic’s high editor to an earlier Signal group chat with Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and different high officers as Hegseth mentioned the U.S. strikes on Yemen.
Rauchet’s presence within the newest group chat didn’t mark the primary time her husband included her in work-related conferences, and her constant presence close to Hegseth and in his conferences is drawing scrutiny and complaints that it’s unprecedented and unprofessional, CNN studies.

Rauchet, for instance, attended all of Hegseth’s conferences with Republican Senators earlier than his affirmation, a senate aide informed CNN, a transfer which they’re “not aware of any [other] nominee for any nominated position doing.”
The aide added that feminine senators have been pissed off by her presence as a result of they’d hoped to query Hegseth in regards to the sexual assault allegation in opposition to him. Rauchet “totally changed the dynamic” of those discussions, the aide informed CNN.
A former Pentagon official equally informed CNN they’d “never heard of anyone” bringing their partner to an workplace assembly, and that the transfer “bothered a lot of senators.”
“What I’ve seen with Hegseth – never in my life have I ever seen this,” the ex-official mentioned.
A lady filed a police report stating Hegseth sexually assaulted her throughout a Republican convention in Monterey, California in 2017. Charges have been by no means filed, and Hegseth paid a nondisclosure settlement to her, but nonetheless denies all allegations.
Rauchet stood by Hegseth because the allegation made headlines shortly after Trump picked him for Secretary of Defense.
“They won’t stop with Pete. It’s not him they’re after. It’s your values. We won’t back down,” Rauchet wrote in a social media submit in early December.

Rauchet additionally attended a gathering between Hegseth and the United Kingdom’s Defense Secretary John Healey final month, which one former Pentagon official referred to as “unprecedented.”
“I have never in my professional life seen a spouse sit in on a meeting with counterparts from other countries, where they talk through substantive matters related to our relationship with these foreign militaries,” the official informed CNN.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kinglsey Wilson informed CNN Rauchet “exited the meeting before any sensitive and classified discussions occurred.” Wilson additionally mentioned that Rauchet has “never attended a meeting where sensitive information or classified information was discussed.”
Greg Williams, the director of the Project on Government Oversight’s Center for Defense Information, informed CNN that Hegseth’s conduct bringing his spouse alongside to essential conferences ”raises critical considerations that Hegseth doesn’t perceive the boundaries between his private life {and professional} life.” That may cause concern amongst allies about sharing delicate data with Hegseth, Williams cautioned.
Rauchet and Hegseth met whereas working at Fox News, they usually wed in 2019 at Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, New Jersey. They have a 7-year-old daughter collectively. She is Hegseth’s third spouse.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/hegseth-jennifer-rauchet-signal-pentagon-b2738368.html