Senate Democrats probe Defense Secretary Hegseth over alleged meddling in Stars and Stripes editorial independence

Published Aug 20, 07:04 PM UTC

Senate Democrats, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, and Jeanne Shaheen, have launched a probe into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the assignment of an active-duty Public Affairs officer to a senior deputy role at the independent military newspaper Stars and Stripes. The assignment was reportedly made without consulting the newspaper's publisher, Max Lederer, who subsequently announced his retirement on August 18, citing fundamental differences with the Department of Defense's plans for the organization. The senators argue that placing a military officer in an editorial position undermines the newspaper's long-standing editorial independence, which is crucial for its credibility among service members. They have given Hegseth an August 28 deadline to provide a detailed explanation. The article also notes prior actions by Hegseth, including firing the newspaper's ombudsman and filling the Pentagon Press Corps with conservative loyalists, as part of a broader pattern of seeking narrative control amid an unpopular Pentagon overhaul and the ongoing war on Iran.