Who is the leaker in the Trump Transition team?
Vanity Fair last Thursday evening, citing a “transition source,” dropped a hit piece on Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary.
Citing two sources, Vanity Fair reported that Trump’s newly appointed Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, was briefed about a sexual misconduct allegation involving Pete Hegseth.
“Donald Trump’s transition team scrambled Thursday after Trump’s incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles was presented with an allegation that former Fox & Friends cohost Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to be Defense Secretary, had engaged in sexual misconduct. According to two sources, Wiles was briefed Wednesday night about an allegation that Hegseth had acted inappropriately with a woman. One of the sources said the alleged incident took place in Monterey, California in 2017,” Vanity Fair reported on Thursday.
Vanity Fair then citied a “transition source” when describing a Thursday meeting Pete Hegseth had with Trump’s lawyers and Susie Wiles to discuss the alleged sexual misconduct.
“According to the transition source, the allegation is serious enough that Wiles and Trump’s lawyers spoke to Hegseth about it on Thursday. A source with knowledge of the meeting said that Hegseth said the allegation stemmed from a consensual encounter and characterized the episode as he-said, she-said.” Vanity Fair reported.
Pete Hegseth’s attorney Timothy Parlatore told Vanity Fair last week: “This allegation was already investigated by the Monterey police department and they found no evidence for it.”
Later on in the hit piece, Vanity Fair citied a “senior transition source” who claimed Pete Hegseth was vetted but he sexual misconduct allegation never came up (that’s because it was already investigated).
“Ahead of the Thursday meeting, one high-level MAGA member familiar with the allegation said Hegseth wasn’t properly scrutinized before Trump made the controversial pick. “He wasn’t vetted,” the source said. But the senior transition source disputed this. “Hegseth was vetted, but this alleged incident didn’t come up.”” Vanity Fair reported.
Now this…
Trump sources leaked to the same Vanity Fair author and told him that the Trump Transition team is ‘quietly preparing a list of alternative defense secretary candidates.’
“For now, Donald Trump is reportedly standing by Pete Hegseth, his embattled pick for defense secretary, but some Trump transition officials are beginning to doubt whether the Fox News host can survive the controversy. According to two Republicans close to Trump, the transition team is quietly preparing a list of alternative defense secretary candidates should Trump abandon Hegseth. “It’s becoming a real possibility,” one of the sources says. The second source tells me that transition members are frustrated that Hegseth failed to disclose he had paid a financial settlement to a woman who alleged he raped her at a Republican women’s event in 2017. “People are upset about the distraction. The general feeling is Pete hasn’t been honest,” the second source says. (Hegseth, through his attorney Timothy Parlatore, strenuously denies his accuser’s allegation.)” Vanity Fair author Gabriel Sherman wrote.
Sources inside the transition team and close to Trumpworld are using damaging leaks to oust Pete Hegseth.
“One prominent Republican close to the transition says the leaks are evidence that some Trumpworld insiders are alarmed by Hegseth’s lack of qualifications and are trying to make sure he doesn’t become defense secretary. “There are Republicans with a background in the Defense Department who are privately saying, ‘I’m not working for this guy,’” the source says.” Vanity Fair reported.
