Jennifer Hegseth, the wife of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, is at the center of a new controversy over her reported work for a firm connected to one of the Pentagon’s biggest business partners.
Hegseth, a longtime Fox News producer, was reportedly paid for consulting work last year by Watchtower Strategy, a public relations company with ties to the Trump administration and Republican politics, according to Politico.
She worked for Watchtower while the firm was also representing Lockheed Martin, one of the major defense contractors that regularly sells weapons and equipment to the department led by her husband.
Jennifer Hegseth’s father, who died in 2009, was a Lockheed Martin executive. She has also reportedly participated in sensitive Pentagon meetings involving her husband and other officials.
The payments were disclosed in the secretary of war’s annual financial report, although the filing does not specify how much Jennifer Hegseth received.
Lockheed Martin reported at least $75 billion in revenue last year. About 96 percent of that total—roughly $72 billion—came from defense-related business, much of it involving the US government.
Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, the Pentagon has not paid any other company more than Lockheed Martin, according to Defense News.
The arrangement has prompted ethics concerns because of Jennifer Hegseth’s position as an adviser to her husband and her reported work for a public relations firm whose clients include major defense companies.
Jennifer Hegseth was paid by a leading Republican public relations firm that has also represented major defense contractors receiving multibillion-dollar Pentagon contracts, prompting questions about her role
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has been carrying out President Donald Trump’s war on Iran
Pete and Jennifer Hegseth pose for photographers at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. During his confirmation hearings in early 2025, Hegseth called his wife his “rock”
“If Lloyd Austin’s wife was working for a lobbying firm while he was leading the Pentagon, I would have exposed the wrongdoing,” former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz wrote on X, referring to Joe Biden’s former Pentagon chief.
“Wives of Cabinet members shouldn’t be paid by lobbyists,” Gaetz added.
Watchtower rejected the suggestion of wrongdoing, pointing to its media work and Jennifer Hegseth’s professional experience.
“It should be no surprise that a public affairs firm would want to work with one of the biggest former star producers at Fox News, the nation’s preeminent conservative news outlet.”
“Jen has assisted us in navigating conservative TV media and we appreciate her help. She has not interfaced with any clients nor does she provide any advice to Watchtower on defense matters,” spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said.
Several Watchtower employees previously worked at Fox News, including Pfeiffer and Brooke Singman, the former political reporter who joined the firm over the summer.
“Watchtower finds her contacts at Fox invaluable,” a source familiar with Jennifer Hegseth’s work told Our News Outlet.
The report comes as Jennifer Hegseth’s husband faces growing scrutiny following President Trump’s midterm defeat, which saw Democrats sweep to power across the country.
Lockheed Martin manufactures the Pentagon’s F-35 stealth fighter fleet. The program’s lifetime cost is estimated in the trillions of dollars, with much of that money flowing to the defense contractor
Trump has been calling advisers and questioning them about Hegseth’s performance and political standing, a pattern he typically follows when weighing whether to remove a senior subordinate.
Several Republican strategists and sources close to the White House told Our News Outlet that they expect changes within the administration after the midterm setback. Hegseth is considered particularly vulnerable.
The timing of a potential replacement remains uncertain. Only a limited number of legislative days remain before Democrats formally take control in early January, leading many observers to doubt whether a change could be completed.
It is also unclear whom Trump would choose to replace Hegseth if he decided to remove him.
The immediate successor in line would be Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, who has already received Senate confirmation.
If Trump chose another candidate before Republicans hand Congress to Democrats in January, the nominee would have to move through confirmation hearings at an exceptionally rapid pace.
With few congressional working days left this year, some insiders believe lawmakers are unlikely to force through a new secretary of war within two months while also handling other legislative priorities.
“The Department of War maintains a rigorous, multi-layered ethics framework that includes financial disclosure reviews, divestitures where appropriate, and screening to prevent conflicts of interest,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to Our News Outlet.
“Secretary Hegseth and his wife are in full compliance with all ethics laws and regulations, and their sole focus is serving our warfighters, President Trump, and the American people.”
When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill, Congressman Thomas Massie, a vocal opponent of both Trump and Hegseth, is expected to begin an effort to impeach the secretary of war.
If that effort fails, Democrats are expected to open an investigation into Hegseth early next year.
