An ex-sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, has submitted a sworn statement to senators accusing him of being “abusive” towards his second wife. According to the affidavit, Hegseth’s second wife, Samantha Hegseth, once hid in a closet from him and had a safe word to call for help if she needed to get away from him. The ex-sister-in-law, Danielle Diettrich Hegseth, described Hegseth’s behavior as “erratic and aggressive” and said she had witnessed him being intoxicated to the point of passing out on multiple occasions.
The allegations, which Hegseth denies through his lawyer, are the latest to surface since his nomination and could imperil his confirmation. A handful of Republicans have expressed concerns about the accusations, and it is unclear if they will sway enough opposition to block his approval.
Danielle Hegseth, who is married to Hegseth’s brother, said she spoke with the F.B.I. about her concerns and came forward to Congress in the hopes of persuading other Republicans to block Hegseth’s confirmation. She said she was submitting her account at the request of Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, denied the allegations, calling them “politically motivated smears.” The new accusations are similar to previous ones that have been made against Hegseth, who has denied all of them and called them “anonymous smears.”
