Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, is pushing back on his former sister-in-law's last-minute affidavit with new allegations.
Mr. Hegseth's attorney, Timothy C. Parlatore, on Wednesday sent a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), citing former Mr. Hegseth's affidavit, Daniel Dietrich. requested that the claim be revoked.
“While it is difficult to respond to or prove credibility to anonymous allegations, the benefit of someone putting their name on the record is that their credibility and bias can be investigated. can be easily identified,” he said. said in a communication obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Pete Hegseth's lawyer is calling on senators not to rely on an affidavit from his brother's ex-wife. (Reuters)
Dietrich's affidavit was obtained by Fox News on Tuesday. Mr. Hegseth's former sister-in-law, who was once married to Mr. Hegseth's brother, said that Mr. Hegseth had an alcohol abuse problem that sometimes caused his ex-wife, Samantha, to fear for his safety. he claimed.
She provided numerous anecdotes in her affidavit, including an incident in which Samantha allegedly hid from her husband in a closet.
However, Dietrich said she never witnessed any physical or sexual abuse of Samantha by Pete.
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The affidavit also cited anecdotes about Hegseth's alleged heavy drinking and mentioned several specific incidents, including an incident at a strip club.
After the deposition was reported, the senator said: jack reed“As I have said for months, Mr. Hegseth's allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct are… “History reporting requires thorough background research.” I am concerned that the background check process is inadequate and this affidavit confirms my concerns.
“Mr. Hegseth's pattern of abuse and misconduct is alarming. This conduct disqualifies service members from serving in military leadership positions, much less from being confirmed as Secretary of Defense.”
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Hegseth held a hearing before the committee last week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Dietrich further suggested in the document that his former brother-in-law was not suitable to serve as defense secretary.
In her letter to Wicker, Parlatore said, “She has openly acknowledged that her goal is to sink the nomination, and that she has not been promised by the Democratic Party that such statements would have that effect.'' “There is,” he said.
He noted that “the majority” of what Dietrich referred to were events that she admitted she was not a witness to. Ms Hegseth's lawyer added: “She significantly contradicts Sam's sworn statement in the divorce proceedings in which he admitted there was no abuse.”
Parlatore also noted that her claims “inadvertently” accuse Samantha of lying during the FBI's background check on Hegseth.
“Please note that Ms. Dietrich told the FBI all of this on December 30, 2024, but the FBI was unable to corroborate her claims and that they were flatly refuted by Sam, the actual participant. is important,” he said.
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Scott accused Democrats of obstructing the confirmation process. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“There is no basis for trusting this deeply flawed and dubious affidavit, filed at the eleventh hour in a clearly partisan attempt to block Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation,” the letter concluded.
Dietrich's attorney, Leita Walker, said in a statement: “Danielle does not intend to comment beyond her statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee, but this took a lot of courage. “We ask that the privacy of those she cares about, including Pete, be respected.” Hegseth's ex-wife and children. ”
Democrats quickly claimed that an affidavit confirmed Hegseth was unfit for the role, but accused Republicans of trying to block the confirmation process.
Wicker told reporters Wednesday that he had seen the affidavit and that “I'm still a firm yes” to Hegseth's confirmation.
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“Nominations will go forward and I don't think this will fundamentally change much,” he said.
“They're just Democrats and they're obstructionists,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told reporters.
“They're just trying to keep President Trump's administration team together. That's not good for the American people. President Trump won the election. If he wins the electorate by the next deadline.” [a] If there is a significant margin, they should stop being obstructionists,” he continued.
