'Huge conflict of interest' as Saudi lobbyist helps push Pete Hegseth confirmation: report

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense has been working his way through members of the U.S. Senate trying to get to a 50-vote majority. But the one helping him with the task is a lobbyist for the military industrial complex as well as Saudi Arabia.

Writing for The Bulwark, Joe Perticone revealed that Pete Hegeseth's "sherpa" is former Sen. Norm Coleman, who lost his Minnesota seat to former Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) in 2008.

It isn't unusual for "former lawmakers and top staffers" to "help nominees establish relationships and grease the wheels ahead of the confirmation process. What is notable is that Coleman ... is a registered lobbyist for multiple companies with business before the Department of Defense as well as foreign governments."

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"It's a huge conflict of interest," pointed out Bulwark colleague Sam Stein.

Star Tribune correspondent Sydney Kashiwagi even captured photos of Coleman with Hegseth meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

A 2022 Intercept report pointed to Coleman as one of the GOP's biggest fundraisers for the previous election cycle. Months after the 2020 election, Coleman sent out an email with his request.

"At this time, the Kingdom would appreciate it if your Member of Congress would publicly welcome this step and call out the Houthis for their continuous obstruction of the political process," Coleman wrote.

It was about a ceasefire in Yemen that the Houthis rejected.