Pete Hegseth’s Troubles at Work Raise Questions About Leadership

Politics|Pete Hegseth’s Troubles at Work Raise Questions About Leadership

Almost from the moment he first went on air at Fox News as a contributor, Pete Hegseth’s star on the nation’s most powerful conservative media outlet was on the rise. A decorated combat veteran, Mr. Hegseth became the weekend anchor of the popular “Fox & Friends” show and a familiar presence to viewers across the country, including President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Mr. Trump was so impressed that he named Mr. Hegseth, 44, as his choice to head the Department of Defense. But less familiar to Fox News viewers — and presumably to Mr. Trump — was what had been happening behind the scenes at the network.

More than once during his early years at the network, Mr. Hegseth’s heavy drinking and raucous behavior at Fox News-related events escalated into episodes that were addressed by company officials or co-workers. Those incidents underscore concerns about his behavior that have imperiled his prospects to lead the Pentagon. Mr. Hegseth has said that he continues to have Mr. Trump’s full support, but by Tuesday night the president-elect was reported to be weighing whether to find another candidate for the prestigious position.

At Fox News, the network’s human resources department looked into Mr. Hegseth’s conduct at the “Fox & Friends” Christmas party in 2016 and discussed it with him, according to a person with intimate knowledge who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter.

The following December, Mr. Hegseth got so drunk at a wedding of a Fox News producer that he struggled to stand upright in a men’s bathroom, according to two people with direct knowledge of the episode who declined to be named for fear of retribution. Friends asked a producer who was there to get Mr. Hegseth a ride home so he could make it to the set by 6 a.m., they said.

Timothy Parlatore, Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer, said that “neither of these allegations are true.”