WASHINGTON — As acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf’s confirmation hearing got underway Wednesday, questions surfaced about government contracts awarded to a company where his wife is an executive.

What You Need To Know

  • The Department of Homeland Security awarded $6 million in contracts to the firm where acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf's wife is an executive

  • Berkeley Research Group has a long history of federal contracts but had not done any work for DHS until Wolf worked for the agency

  • Wolf said he was unaware of the contracts until asked about them by the media

  • The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing Wednesday after Trump formally nominated him for the office

The Department of Homeland Security has awarded more than $6 million in contracts to Berkeley Research Group since September 2018, NBC News reported, citing records on the federal government website USA Spending. Wolf’s wife, Hope Wolf, is vice president of professional staff operations at the consulting firm. 

Berkeley Research Group has a long history of federal contracts, but it did not begin doing work for DHS until after Wolf became the chief of staff at the Transportation Security Administration, a DHS agency, in 2017, NBC reported. 

Wolf was named chief of staff to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen in 2018 before being appointed acting secretary in November. 

The contracts were for "Information Technology Software," records say.

Asked about the contracts during his confirmation hearing, Wolf said he was unaware of them until he was contacted by the media.

“Whether I was chief of staff, acting secretary, undersecretary or any other position at the department, I have no role in procurements," he told members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "I don’t even see procurements until they are released, in the news, on the street.

“If I was involved in procurements, which I am not, I have recusals in place to not only include her firm, but clients I had before arriving at the department. So again, fabricated story, there’s obviously no evidence of anything, but that’s not going to stop folks.”

Berkeley Research Group declined to comment to NBC.

Wolf was also asked at Wednesday's hearing about a complaint from a whistleblower -- Brian Murphy, the former head of the the Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence branch -- who alleged that the acting secretary and his deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, ordered him to modify intelligence reports to align with President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and interests.

Wolf said the complaint was "patently false."

"It's a fabrication, completely," he said. "I reject any claim that I attempted to influence or retaliate against any individual at DHS, but specifically Mr. Murphy."

Murphy claims he was retaliated against by being reassigned after voicing his concerns to other superiors and cooperating with the department’s inspector general. Wolf said Murphy was reassigned after he was found to have collected intelligence on two U.S. journalists. 

Wolf also denied that he held up an intelligence briefing about Russian campaign interference for political reasons. 

ABC News first reported on Sept. 2 that DHS withheld an intelligence bulletin that warned Russia is trying to promote “allegations about the poor mental health” of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

DHS finally distributed the warning to law enforcement on Sept. 4, two days after the report and nearly two months after first receiving it. 

Wolf said the bulletin was not blocked but that it had been sent back for revisions.

"I asked for the product to be improved, which they did over a period of time and then that product was released at the beginning of September," Wolf said.

“The underlying intelligence remained the same, but it was better sourced, it was put in better context for state and local partners and it was issued, I believe, on Sept. 4."

Wolf's tenure as acting secretary has been a tumultuous one. In addition to the recent controversies over intelligence, the department has faced criticism about its use of federal agents, wearing camouflage and driving in unmarked vehicles, at protests in Portland, Oregon.

And earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that Wolf is likely serving in his acting role unlawfully and does not have the authority to impose new restrictions on asylum seekers. 

Judge Paula Xinis said it’s likely the states and cities suing to stop the restrictions from being enforced will prove that an improper line of succession was followed when Wolf’s predecessor, Kevin McAleenan, was installed as acting secretary and that McAleenan illegally altered the line of succession that later led to Wolf being elevated to the position. 

The Government Accountability Office said in August that Wolf is ineligible to serve in his current acting role. The following week, Trump announced he was nominating Wolf for the position permanently. 

If confirmed, Wolf would become the first Senate-confirmed Cabinet secretary in more than a year.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said Trump has abused acting positions, which allow him to install agency leaders while curcumventing the Senate confirmation process.

"Vacancies and acting officials are part of every administration but they should be rare. This administration has abused vacancies to the detriment of this department," Peters said.