Hegseth’s Wife Was Paid by Consulting Firm Whose Clients Include Lockheed Martin

Documents show that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Hegseth, was paid to consult by a top D.C. firm whose clients include Lockheed Martin, marking a massive potential conflict of interest as Democrats prepare a potential impeachment inquiry into the embattled Pentagon chief.

Politico first reported on Jennifer Hegseth’s work in 2025 for top consulting firm Watchtower Strategy, which was uncovered in Pete Hegseth’s financial disclosure form for the year. The amount that she was paid is not disclosed, and it lists “consulting” as the explanation for the income. The disclosure also reports two other consulting gigs for Jennifer Hegseth, who has previously held Lockheed shares, as Military.com pointed out.

Watchtower was launched by former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy early last year and has become a major power player in D.C. In May 2025, Politico reported that the firm was doing “general consulting” work for Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed would not confirm whether or not it still works with Watchtower, and the consulting firm declined to say whether or not Jennifer Hegseth still consults with them. A spokesperson for Watchtower said that she had provided media consulting for them. Jennifer Hegseth was a longtime Fox News producer and is the daughter of a now-deceased Lockheed Martin executive.

“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,” a Watchtower spokesperson said, per Politico. “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.”

The Pentagon has denied any impropriety. “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,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.

The secretary of defense has another tie to Watchtower, through firm co-founder Arthur Schwartz, who had helped advise Pete Hegseth when he was going through his Senate confirmation hearings, during which he faced questions about his history of misogyny and alleged sexual assault.

Jennifer Hegseth is highly influential on Pete Hegseth, who directs the agency that regularly grants massive contracts to Lockheed Martin. Jennifer Hegseth is involved in her husband’s work to an unusual degree, accompanying him to many official Pentagon events, including meetings discussing sensitive military practices that typically require high-level clearance. She was even included in the infamous leaked Signal group chat in which top Trump administration officials discussed plans for bombing Yemen.

The revelations come as Pete Hegseth is being eyed as a top target for removal by both Democrats and some Republicans. He is a top target for an impeachment inquiry, which may start as soon as next week.

Many Republicans may join those efforts, reports say, seeking to find a scapegoat for their total collapse in the midterm elections. According to CBS, President Donald Trump is apparently calling around to allies to ask if he should keep him, with one potential replacement being Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.