Holly K. Talley, a former colleague of Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, criticized Senate Democrats for perpetuating false allegations during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing. Talley, who worked with Hegseth at Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) from 2013 to 2015, directly refuted claims that Hegseth engaged in inappropriate conduct during a trip to Louisiana.
The allegations, first reported by The New Yorker, accuse Hegseth of taking staff to a strip club while in Louisiana. Talley stated unequivocally that Hegseth was not even in the state at the time of the alleged incident. She reiterated this to Breitbart News, highlighting her frustration with Democrats and media outlets ignoring her testimony. Talley noted that despite sharing the truth with The Washington Post, her full statement was not included in their reporting.
False Claims Resurface at Hearing
During Tuesday’s hearing, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) repeated the unfounded accusations, claiming Hegseth took staff to a strip club and engaged in inappropriate behavior. Hegseth firmly denied the claims, labeling them “anonymous false charges.” Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) followed with additional accusations, suggesting CVA settled a related sexual harassment case. Hegseth responded by stating he was not involved and had no knowledge of the matter.
Talley criticized these repeated accusations as baseless and emphasized that, as a young female employee at CVA, Hegseth always treated her with respect. “Pete never made me feel unheard or unseen,” she said. Talley added that she would not have publicly defended him if her experience had been otherwise.
Hypocrisy on Women’s Issues
Several female Democrat senators accused Hegseth of disrespecting women, citing his views on maintaining rigorous physical standards for women in combat roles. Talley called out their hypocrisy for ignoring her perspective as a former female colleague of Hegseth. She noted, “It makes you feel unseen and unheard, that your experience and your circumstance doesn’t matter.”
Despite the contentious nature of the hearing, Talley praised Hegseth’s composure under pressure. She described him as calm, fact-focused, and unshaken by emotional attacks.
