The former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth, who was nominated by President Trump to be the Secretary of Defense, has made some serious allegations against him in an affidavit. Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother from 2011 to 2019, claimed that Hegseth had instilled fear in his second wife over a period of years due to his behavior and alcohol abuse.
The details were provided in an affidavit that Danielle submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee. The document, which was accessed by CBS News, is a part of the background check conducted by the FBI for Hegseth’s nomination process. Danielle’s statement was a response to a letter from Senator Jack Reed, a leading Democrat on the committee.
The document was initially reported by NBC News. Tim Parlatore, Hegseth’s lawyer, dismissed the accusations, labeling Danielle as an “anti-Trump far left Democrat.”
Danielle outlined in the document that Samantha Hegseth, Pete’s second and former wife, had once confided in her about hiding in a closet due to fear of Hegseth. This incident, according to Danielle, took place between 2014 and 2016 and was consistent with Hegseth’s behavior that she had observed over the years.
Danielle also revealed that Samantha had an escape plan in place in case she felt endangered by Hegseth. The plan involved sending a safe word via a text message to Danielle, who would then alert a friend who could help Samantha. Danielle admitted to receiving such a text once between 2015 and 2016.
It’s worth noting that Danielle did not witness any abuse firsthand. Her knowledge of the situation is based on what she heard from Samantha, Hegseth’s ex-wife. At his confirmation hearing, when questioned by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine about any instances of physical violence against his wives, Hegseth categorically denied the allegations.
The affidavit also contained allegations of Hegseth’s alcohol abuse. Danielle claimed she had personally witnessed Hegseth drinking excessively on multiple occasions, leading to him passing out at family gatherings and being ejected from bars.
Danielle has urged the Senate to consider her affidavit while deciding on Hegseth’s nomination. She believes that Hegseth is not suitable to be the Secretary of Defense. However, Hegseth’s lawyer refuted the allegations, stating that Samantha has never claimed any abuse occurred during their marriage.
Hegseth’s confirmation hearing took place on January 14, where he was grilled by Democrats over his views on women in the military and a sexual assault allegation, which he denied. Despite the controversies, Hegseth’s nomination has been supported by Republican senators.
This report includes contributions from Nikole Killion.
