Phil Hegseth, the younger brother of newly appointed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is serving in a prominent position inside the Pentagon as a liaison and senior adviser from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The role has placed him in close proximity to high-level military operations and diplomatic travel, including joining his brother on an Indo-Pacific tour aboard the Pentagon’s 747 aircraft.
According to Defense Department spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson, Phil Hegseth’s official title is “senior adviser to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the Defense Department.”
She added that he is “one of a number of talented DHS liaisons to DoW” and that he is currently “conducting touch points with U.S. Coast Guard officials on the Secretary’s Indo-Pacific trip,” which includes stops in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and Japan.
Here's What They're Not Telling You About Your Retirement
Phil’s role as a senior DHS liaison places him at the intersection of two of the most powerful government agencies in the U.S., a position that is traditionally designed to strengthen interagency cooperation.
During the overseas tour, DHS confirmed that Phil has been meeting with representatives from Homeland Security Investigations, the department’s law enforcement arm, as well as with other DHS components and interagency partners.
While liaison roles between agencies such as the Pentagon and DHS are common, the appointment of a cabinet secretary’s family member to such a high-profile role is not.
“It’s not common for those senior-level positions to be filled by family members of the Cabinet heads,” said Michael Fallings, a managing partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC, a firm that specializes in federal employment law.
This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year
Phil Hegseth’s professional background includes founding a podcast production company called Embassy and Third and working on social media and podcasting at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank. He also previously worked with his brother when Pete Hegseth led Concerned Veterans for America, a nonprofit advocacy group.
According to federal tax records, Pete paid his brother $108,000 for media relations work during his tenure as CEO—a period during which the nonprofit experienced financial challenges.
Despite the family connection, the Department of Homeland Security emphasized that Phil Hegseth’s current interagency mission falls within his responsibilities.
A DHS statement said the position is “part of Mr. Hegseth’s preview”—a likely typo intended to say “purview.”
Still, questions linger about the hiring process and whether the appointment might violate federal nepotism laws.
The federal law in question dates back to 1967 and prohibits government officials from appointing or promoting relatives to civilian roles over which they have authority. An organizational chart obtained by the Associated Press shows Phil Hegseth as a senior adviser situated directly beneath his brother on the Pentagon hierarchy.
Although that structure raises red flags, Fallings explained that “if he is wholly employed by DHS, that would avoid a nepotism violation, unless it can be shown that [Pete] Hegseth was involved in the hiring or had asserted his authority to help hire his brother.”
DHS has not responded to inquiries about whether Phil Hegseth is paid, at what federal pay level, or whether the agency alone employs him. The Pentagon, for its part, has not made Phil available for interviews or addressed his qualifications for the role.
Phil has been a constant presence at his brother’s side, including during Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearings.
Photographs show the two walking the halls of Congress together, and now, according to a U.S. official familiar with Pentagon office assignments, Phil works just down the hall from his brother in the Pentagon’s E-Ring.
Photos released through the secretary's official Flickr account also place Phil Hegseth at high-level meetings, including one earlier this month with UFC champion Conor McGregor. He was also part of the delegation that traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with Secretary Hegseth in February.
While concerns over nepotism have surfaced in past administrations—including President Trump’s appointment of son-in-law Jared Kushner and President Clinton’s designation of First Lady Hillary Clinton to lead a health care task force—those roles fell under different legal scrutiny due to exceptions that apply within the Executive Office of the President.
More recently, the Biden administration saw similar family connections. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan served in a top White House role while his brother, Tom Sullivan, worked at the State Department.
As the Pentagon and DHS remain tight-lipped, the public and government ethics experts await further clarification on whether Phil Hegseth’s appointment was made independently and lawfully—or if it crossed the legal or ethical lines that guard against nepotism in federal hiring.
Until then, the close proximity of two brothers in powerful roles within national defense and homeland security continues to raise eyebrows and questions alike.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.