Democratic senators on the Armed Providers Committee are at present reviewing an affidavit that alleges Secretary of Protection nominee Pete Hegseth made his second spouse concern for her security.
Fox Information has obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges that he each has an alcohol abuse downside – and he at instances made his ex-wife, Samantha, concern for her security. Danielle Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother. She just isn’t the sister of Samantha, Pete Hegseth’s second spouse.
The Senate Armed Services Committee was offered the affidavit and members are within the means of reviewing it.
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Hegseth has denied all claims. ( (Photograph by Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures))
In an announcement to Fox Information, Pete Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore mentioned, “Sam has by no means alleged that there was any abuse, she signed courtroom paperwork acknowledging that there was no abuse and lately reaffirmed the identical throughout her FBI interview. Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump, far-left Democrat who’s divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and by no means acquired together with the Hegseth household, do nothing to alter that. After an acrimonious divorce, Ms. Dietrich has had an ax to grind towards all the Hegseth household. Ms. Dietrich admits that she noticed nothing however is now falsely accusing Sam of mendacity to each the Court docket and to the FBI due to non-public, undocumented statements that she allegedly made 10 years in the past.”
Danielle Hegseth offered an anecdote within the doc, recalling that Samantha as soon as hid in a closet from her husband.
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Reed is the rating member of the Armed Providers Committee. (Reuters)
However, Danielle Hegseth added that she by no means witnessed any abuse herself, bodily or sexual, from Pete towards Samantha.
The affidavit offered extra anecdotes about Hegseth’s alleged heavy ingesting, referring to a number of particular events, together with one in a strip membership.
Within the doc, Danielle Hegseth additionally concluded her former brother-in-law just isn’t match to be Secretary of Protection, in her opinion.
The committee’s Rating Member Jack Reed, D-R.I., mentioned in an announcement, “As I’ve mentioned for months, the experiences of Mr. Hegseth’s historical past of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation. I’ve been involved that the background verify course of has been insufficient, and this affidavit confirms my fears. The alleged sample of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is disturbing. This conduct would disqualify any servicemember from holding any management place within the navy, a lot much less being confirmed because the Secretary of Protection.”
Samantha Hegseth denies any bodily abuse in an announcement first reported by NBC Information. “There was no bodily abuse in my marriage. That is the one additional assertion I’ll make to you, I’ve let you already know that I’m not talking and won’t communicate on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this choice,” she reportedly mentioned.
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Rosen mentioned the affidavit confirms what they already knew. (Tom Brenner)
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who’s on the committee, instructed reporters, “This solely confirms what we already learn about Mr. Hegseth’s conduct and the way in which he has lived his life, and the sorts of opinions that he had in the direction of ladies.”
“So we’ll let the Republicans make their very own assertion, however I feel it simply confirms we already know that he’s completely 100% unqualified for this job, his disposition, his demeanor, the problems now we have with sexual abuse, with monetary mismanagement,” she mentioned.
“I’m telling you, there’s a nice deal on this affidavit, and, any a part of which might disqualify a candidate to guide our navy,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one other member of the committee, instructed reporters.
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Nonetheless, Republicans on the committee aren’t essentially going to be swayed by the allegations.
New Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who additionally sits on the committee, wrote on X: “This can be a determined, last-minute try by Dems and the media to smear Pete Hegseth and tank his nomination. Pete’s ex-wife is on document saying the claims are false, however the media doesn’t care as a result of it hurts a Republican. No person ought to fall for this.”
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