Allegations of abuse have surfaced against Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, as his former sister-in-law provided an affidavit to the Senate Armed Services Committee. The affidavit accuses Hegseth of being 'abusive' towards his second ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, although it does not specify the nature of the abuse.
Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Hegseth's brother from 2011 to 2019, stated in the affidavit that Samantha Hegseth had at times feared for her safety and had a code word to signal for help to get away from her husband. While she did not personally witness physical or sexual abuse by Hegseth, she did mention instances of him abusing alcohol at family gatherings.
Samantha Hegseth, in response to the allegations, denied any physical abuse in her marriage to Pete Hegseth. She emphasized that she would not speak further on the matter and requested respect for her decision.
Tim Parlatore, Pete Hegseth's lawyer, dismissed the allegations by pointing out that Danielle Hegseth is a lifelong Democrat who used to engage in conflicts with family members due to her political beliefs.
The divorce between Pete and Samantha Hegseth in 2017, followed by Pete's remarriage in 2019, has been highlighted in the context of the abuse allegations. Court records from the divorce case indicated mutual accusations of saying hurtful things to their children about each other, but neither party claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.
These recent allegations add to the existing controversy surrounding Hegseth's nomination, which has been previously challenged by claims of sexual assault and excessive drinking in the workplace. Despite denying all allegations of misconduct, Hegseth has pledged to abstain from drinking while serving as secretary of defense if confirmed.
As Hegseth's confirmation vote approaches, the impact of these new abuse allegations on his chances of winning confirmation remains uncertain, with the vote expected to be closely contested.
