Report: Hegseth's wife paid by consulting firm that represents Lockheed Martin

Jennifer Hegseth, the wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and an informal adviser at the Pentagon, disclosed consulting payments from Watchtower Strategy, a Trump-aligned public affairs firm whose clients include defense contractor Lockheed Martin, Politico reported.

Jennifer Hegseth, the wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was paid for consulting work by Watchtower Strategy, a Trump-aligned public affairs firm that counted weapons maker Lockheed Martin among its clients in 2025, according to a financial disclosure form reported by Politico.

A former Fox News producer, Jennifer Hegseth has acted as an informal adviser to her husband and has been closely involved in daily Defense Department operations, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest. She is also the daughter of a former Lockheed Martin executive. In the fiscal year in which Watchtower paid her, the U.S. government paid Lockheed Martin more than $66 billion, according to public records cited by The Daily Beast.

Official portrait of Jennifer Hegseth (file photo)

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department works to "ensure senior leaders are completely screened from matters involving former employers or private interests." He added: "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. Any insinuations or claims otherwise are ridiculous slander."

A Watchtower spokesperson told Politico it should be no surprise that the firm wanted to work with "one of the biggest former star producers at Fox News." The spokesperson said: "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 report comes as President Donald Trump has been asking advisers whether Hegseth should stay in his post after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, CBS News reported.

Report: Hegseth's wife paid by consulting firm that represents Lockheed Martin