Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary, is facing new allegations of abuse from his former sister-in-law, according to an affidavit obtained by CNN.
Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Hegseth’s brother from 2011 to 2019, wrote in the affidavit that Hegseth was “abusive” toward his second ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth. She did not specify the nature of the abuse, but said that Samantha Hegseth at times feared for her safety and had a code word to use if she needed help to get away from her husband.
Danielle Hegseth also alleged that she witnessed Hegseth abusing alcohol at multiple family gatherings and drinking to excess in public on two occasions in 2013.
Hegseth’s nomination has already been endangered by allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking in the workplace. Hegseth has denied all allegations of misconduct, including having a drinking problem.
The allegations come as Hegseth’s nomination is set to be voted on by the full Senate. Despite the new allegations, Hegseth’s chances of winning confirmation remain solid, with four Senate Republicans needed to defect to stop his nomination.
Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, requested the affidavit as part of the agency’s background investigation of the defense secretary nominee. Reed wrote that the allegations of abuse and misconduct by Hegseth are “disturbing” and would disqualify any servicemember from holding a leadership position in the military.
Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, a Republican, expressed doubts about the allegations, citing statements attributed to Hegseth’s ex-wife. However, several Senate Democrats argued that the allegations show that Hegseth is unqualified to be defense secretary and complained that they were not included in the FBI’s background investigation briefed to Armed Services leaders.
Samantha Hegseth, Hegseth’s second ex-wife, released a statement denying the allegations of abuse, saying that there was no physical abuse in her marriage. Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, also denied the allegations, saying that Danielle Hegseth has an axe to grind and that most of what she is saying are things she did not witness.
The nomination is expected to be voted on by Thursday, with a final confirmation vote potentially occurring over the weekend.
