Following news that Sen. Susan Collins met for over an hour on Dec 11th, with Secretary of Defense nominee and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, Maine Democratic Party Chair Bev Uhlenhake released the following statement:

“Just last week, Sen. Susan Collins said she was “concerned” with Pete Hegseth’s nomination, due to serious allegations of sexual assault and harassment against him. Meanwhile, his former coworkers and fellow conservatives are sounding the alarm about his mismanagement and misconduct at two veteran organizations.

“Being concerned is not enough when it comes to protecting our military service members. Susan Collins cannot wait, she must show courage and speak out now to stop this unqualified & unfit nominee from leading the Department of Defense, our single largest government agency, where the lives of Maine soldiers are on the line every day.”