Tulsi Gabbard: gotten to
Peter Theil, crying about Section 702Tulsi Gabbard: gotten to
Source Behind Hegseth Claims Is Disgruntled Former Employee
A former Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) employee is privately helping Senate Democrats solicit hostile testimony about her former boss, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the country’s next defense secretary.
The former employee, Kat Dugan, worked at CVA for eight months while Hegseth served as CEO of the organization, and has sent messages to former CVA colleagues urging them to contact the Senate Armed Services Committee and assuring them they can do so anonymously. She has also provided closed-door testimony to the committee, according to correspondence obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Dugan, formerly Kathleen Volandt, received a poor performance review in 2014 when she was serving as CVA’s North Carolina state director. Shortly thereafter, she filed for short-term disability, then long-term disability, and ultimately tendered her resignation in December 2014. Shawn Pattison, who served as CVA’s national field director at the time, told the Free Beacon that Dugan "consistently fell short of performance expectations." A copy of her performance review reviewed by the Free Beacon substantiates that assessment.
Pattison offered praise for Hegseth’s leadership abilities, noting that he "transformed CVA from a pilot project into the organization that delivered on [Veterans Affairs] reforms." He added: "His leadership was what pushed us" and made the job "one of the most fulfilling professional experiences I've had so far."
The text messages and do ents shed new light on the high-profile opposition campaign against Hegseth, which has played out in the press and comes largely from anonymous sources. The news could also bolster claims from Hegseth and his allies, who have blamed the negative publicity on "disgruntled employees" waging a "manufactured media takedown."
In fact, this is not the first time Dugan has been linked to unflattering media reports about Hegseth. In March 2018, when Hegseth was floated as a possible nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, his lawyer sent Dugan a cease-and-desist letter accusing her of making "false and defamatory statements" about Hegseth to J. Arthur Bloom, a writer who has contributed to The Spectator, "intended to damage Mr. Hegseth’s reputation and his potential future employment prospects."
That same day the letter was sent, The Spectator published an article reporting that, while at CVA, Hegseth promoted a "fraternity-like culture that involved heavy drinking" and turned a blind eye to a sexual assault complaint against another employee. The story, which cited unnamed sources, was published under the magazine’s pseudonymous byline " burn." The headline asked, "Is Pete Hegseth Really a Suitable Candidate for Secretary of Veterans Affairs?"
Bloom declined to comment on whether he wrote the article, which made reference to a "sexual assault complaint" filed by a female CVA employee. He did, however, share a copy of a letter that Dugan wrote to an attorney two months after departing CVA regarding that sexual assault complaint—which did not pertain to Hegseth—in which Dugan described a "sexist and drinking culture" that "set the stage for this kind of incident."
The Free Beacon spoke to the CVA staffer who filed the sexual assault complaint and whose name is being withheld in this article. She said that her complaint involved another male employee and that she did not experience broader problems with the organization or with Hegseth.
Dugan, she said, has contacted her "a few times" to ask her to talk to the Senate Armed Services Committee about Hegseth, but she has declined. She told the Free Beacon her complaint was resolved internally years ago and that Hegseth had no involvement in the matter.
In recent weeks, several news reports, most prominently a piece in the New Yorker by Jane Mayer, have accused Hegseth of drinking heavily while working at CVA and as a Fox News host, of promoting a misogynistic work environment, and of mismanaging corporate funds, accusations that echo those aired in The Spectator six years ago.
"A previously undisclosed whistle-blower report on Hegseth’s tenure as the president of Concerned Veterans for America, from 2013 until 2016, describes him as being repeatedly intoxicated while acting in his official capacity—to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization’s events," Mayer wrote.
Both Bloom, now a self-employed blogger, and Dugan, who now appears to sell health tinctures online, remain staunch opponents of Hegseth.
Bloom published a piece on his Substack urging the New Yorker’s Mayer to hit Hegseth "harder" and charged that his nomination is garnering support from GOP senators because he is pro-Israel, or, as Bloom put it, "on the right side of the Likud crime syndicate." (He has also accused Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro of loyalty to Israel over the United States.)
Dugan, meanwhile, has pressed former colleagues to contact Democratic committee aide Jonathan Clark and assured them their anonymity will be protected. "When calling, state ‘I am calling as a whistleblower and understand that my iden y will be protected’ once confirmation is received, simply state any information. They are asking for any supporting do ents," she wrote in a message obtained by the Free Beacon, adding that whistleblower laws ensure that "anyone speaking to the below contact is strictly anonymous and CANNOT be subpoenaed to testify IF a confirmation hearing proceeds."
Hegseth allies, who claim Dugan is the source of anonymous negative stories about him dating back to 2018, say her rocky employment history with CVA raises questions about her credibility and the motivations for her claims, arguing that she was a poor performer and left the organization on bad terms.
Dugan was employed by CVA for eight months, starting in April 2014.
In October 2014, before Dugan left the organization, Nathan Martin, Dugan’s direct supervisor, wrote in a performance review that Dugan’s work was "lackluster as compared to other state directors," according to a copy obtained by the Free Beacon.
"Her ability to lead a team is average, at best. Whether it is focusing on the wrong faults, not praising the right strengths, or personality conflicts, her leadership is rather ineffective," the review stated. "While it may seem odd, I do believe there is potential to lead in almost everyone. However, it has not manifested itself in tangential [sic] form with Kathleen."
Hegseth, according to Martin, "worked very hard to make sure the organization did well."
"I’ve always considered him an exceptional leader," he told the Free Beacon.
https://freebeacon.com/national-secu...rmer-employee/
Trump President not Kamala
It's Great!
one thumps his chest, the other one carries a shield for Hegseth
Dude drinks his ass off. You want him to be SecDef over any other candidate because....?
He drinks alcohol and s women
lol male feminists
You want him to be SecDef over any other candidate because....?He drinks alcohol and s women
lol male feminists
Does your mom think you're a piece of too?
so far....
the rapist Hegseth...
testified that he WOULD INDEED follow a trump order to have citizens shot in the street...
and
he WOULD INDEED - follow a trump order to invade Greenland, Panama, and Canada....
nice!
The argument from the “make america great again” senators…
to approve Hegseth….
is “qualifications? why does it matter? none of us met any qualifications for our job!”
so make america great again- means we will lower our standards in all our cabinet positions…so long as they wear red hats and are gullible enough to join a cult….
ok
Gonna be a rough week for Spurs Homer
Why should we keep this in mind?
Why do you think Hagseth is the best nominee?
Do you think today couldn't have gone any better?
Do you have Spurs Homer on ignore? It's clear why I posted that tweet in response to him.
During his Tuesday Senate confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth provided his best case yet on why he’s the perfect man to be President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary.
Speaking before the Armed Services Committee, the Army veteran noted how the “the primary charge” given to him by Trump was to “bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense.” He subsequently detailed how he intends to make the Pentagon into an agency “laser focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness.”
“The Defense Department under Donald Trump will achieve Peace Through Strength. And in pursuing these America First national security goals, we will remain patriotically a-political and stridently Cons utional,” Hegseth said. “Unlike the current administration, politics should play no part in military matters. We are not Republicans or Democrats — we are American warriors. Our standards will be high, and they will be equal (not equitable, that is a very different word).”
Since coming to power nearly four years ago, the Biden-Harris Pentagon has made implementing neo-Marxist ideologies such as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) a top priority. These policies have undermined military readiness and contributed to the service’s ongoing recruiting crisis.
Hegseth stressed that the Defense Department must “make sure every warrior is fully qualified on their assigned weapon system, every pilot is fully qualified and current on the aircraft they are flying, and every general or flag officer is selected for leadership based purely on performance, readiness, and merit.” He further noted how, “Leaders — at all levels — will be held accountable,” and that “warfighting and lethality — and the readiness of the troops and their families — will be our only focus.”
“That has been my focus ever since I first put on the uniform as a young Army ROTC cadet at Princeton University in 2001,” Hegseth said. “I joined the military because I love my country and felt an obligation to defend it. I served with incredible Americans in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan and in the streets of Washington, DC — many of which are here today. This includes enlisted soldiers I helped become American citizens, and Muslim allies I helped immigrate from Iraq and Afghanistan. And when I took off the uniform, my mission never stopped.”
The former Fox News host described the three-prong approach he and Trump will take to restore lethality and efficiency to the military. Specifically, he noted that the incoming administration will focus on bringing back the military’s “warrior ethos,” rebuilding the service’s broken infrastructure, and reestablishing “deterrence” to create peace on the world stage.
Hegseth also responded to Democrat allegations that he’s not “qualified” to serve as defense secretary. The Army veteran acknowledged that he doesn’t “have a similar biography to defense secretaries of the last 30 years,” but noted, “we’ve repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly ‘the right credentials’ — whether they are retired generals, academics, or defense contractor executives — and where has it gotten us?”
President-elect Trump “believes, and I humbly agree, that it’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent. Someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or approved narratives,” Hegseth said.
The Army veteran reaffirmed that his “only special interest is [America’s] warfighter[s], [d]eterring wars, and if called upon, winning wars — by ensuring our warriors never enter a fair fight.” He further emphasized the importance of the military letting its troops “win” and then “bring[ing] them home.”
“Like many of my generation, I’ve been there. I’ve led troops in combat, been on patrol
for days, pulled a trigger downrange, heard bullets whiz by, flex-cuffed insurgents, called
in close air support, led medevacs, dodged IEDs, pulled out dead bodies, and knelt before a battlefield cross,” Hegseth said. “[T]his is not academic for me; this is my life. I led then, and I will lead now.”
https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/14...nse-secretary/
I like Pete
I don't think it could have gone any better. Did you watch the hearing?
Why do you think he's the best qualified nominee?I like Pete
I'm not reading something you just googled to make an argument for you.
You like him because Trump nominated him and that's all you really need to say. , you probably were googling up a defense for Gaetz.
downplaying unresolved alcoholism, smdh
I like his vision for our military, which is laid out in the article I posted, which is why I posted it. I like that he's actually served and seen combat. I like that he has overwhelming support from current members and veterans in our military. I like the tons of endorsements from people that served with him and under him that understand the military and what's needed in a military leader much more than some keyboard commando like yourself. I like Pete.
Did you watch the hearing? yes or no.
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