Affidavit from Hegseth’s ex-sister-in-law makes new claims about her behavior: NPR

Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, had a problem with alcohol abuse and his behavior made his second wife, Samantha, fear for her safety, his former sister-in-law told the Senate lawmakers in a sworn statement.

NPR received the affidavit from several sources familiar with the matter who were unable to share the affidavit publicly.

Danielle Hegseth, Pete Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, submitted the affidavit in response to a letter from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., who sought her “personal knowledge of Mr. Hegseth’s suitability for this position.” important position. In her affidavit, Danielle Hegseth states that her “personal opinion is that Hegseth is not suitable to serve as Secretary of Defense.”

In an email to NBC News, which first reported the story, Samantha Hegseth said: “First of all, I have not and will not comment on my marriage to Pete Hegseth I have no representative speaking on my behalf, and I have never made any comments about my marriage to Pete Hegseth. I have asked anyone to share or speak about the details of my marriage on my behalf. either a journalist, a member of a committee, a member of the transition team, etc.

A lawyer for Pete Hegseth denied the allegations to NBC.

“Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse, she signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reiterated the same during her interview with the FBI.” attorney Tim Parlatore told NBC.

NPR has reached out for comment from Hegseth.

Several Republican senators, including Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, told NPR that Mr. Hegseth’s ex-wife had denied the abuse allegations.

Still, the panel’s top Democrat said the affidavit should give the Senate pause.

“As I have said for months, reports of Mr. Hegseth’s allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse and public misconduct require a thorough investigation into his background,” said Reed, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a press release. “I was concerned that the background check process was inadequate, and this sworn affidavit confirms that fact.”

Several Republican senators rejected the allegations Tuesday evening, pointing out that the official statement comes after the public hearing on Hegseth’s nomination and suggests it is part of the political campaign on the eve of the Senate vote to confirm Hegseth. Many others said they had not seen the document.

Wicker said he expects Hegseth’s appointment to continue.

“I think she has interests to defend,” Wicker said when asked about Danielle Hegseth’s decision to submit the affidavit.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., a top GOP leader in the Senate, said he doesn’t believe Hegseth’s outlook has changed.

“This looks like a desperate ploy by the far-left-led Democrats because they know we have the votes to confirm him,” Barrasso said on Capitol Hill.

The appointment of Hegseth was voted out of committee Monday by a vote of 14 to 13. The full Senate voted Tuesday to begin consideration of his nomination after the affidavit was made public.

In the affidavit, Danielle Hegseth states that she personally saw Hegseth intoxicated and that he “screamed in my face drunk” in 2009.

She also says her former sister-in-law “feared for her personal safety” during her marriage and planned to “text me a safe word/code word,” meaning she wanted someone ‘one flies to Minnesota to help him. her.

In the document, she explains that she decided to come forward “because I am deeply concerned about what Hegseth’s confirmation would mean for our military and our country and because I have been assured that making this public statement would ensure that some senators who are still the ones on the fence will vote against Hegseth’s nomination. »

The development is part of a broader litany of allegations that have plagued Hegseth since Trump named him defense secretary. Democrats have raised concerns about alcohol abuse allegations. Former staffers at Concerned Veterans for America, headed by Hegseth, have made allegations that he drank on the job, mismanaged his finances and engaged in inappropriate conduct with staff. Former Fox News colleagues also alleged that Hegseth acted inappropriately while drinking. Hegseth has repeatedly referred to the allegations against him – including sexual assault – as part of a “coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media”.