WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s former sister-in-law filed an affidavit with senators on Tuesday, claiming that his actions made his second wife worry for her safety. She was contacted for several days by workers of the Senate Armed Services Committee before receiving the affidavit.
In response to a letter dated January 18th from Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I., asking for a declaration attesting to your personal knowledge regarding Mr. Hegseth’s suitability for this significant role, Danielle Hegseth, the former sister-in-law, filed the affidavit.
Among other things, Reed requested Danielle Hegseth to describe any abuse or threats of abuse she was aware of being committed against another individual, as well as maltreatment of a husband, ex-spouse, or other family members.
“As I have stated for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseth’s history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an extensive background investigation,” Reed said in a statement on Tuesday. This sworn affidavit validates my concerns regarding the inadequacy of the background check procedure.
He went on to say that it is alarming that Mr. Hegseth is allegedly involved in a history of abuse and misbehavior. Any service member who engages in such behavior would be ineligible to serve in any military leadership role, much less be appointed Secretary of Defense.
In the affidavit, Danielle details claims of Hegseth’s erratic and menacing behavior that caused Samantha Hegseth, his second wife, to worry for her safety.
Samantha Hegseth was contacted by NBC News to explain some of the accusations in the affidavit and to request reaction two days prior to Congress receiving it.
First and foremost, I have not and will not comment on my marriage to Pete Hegseth, Samantha Hegseth stated in an email answer on Monday. I have never requested that anyone—a reporter, committee member, transition team member, etc.—share or discuss the specifics of my marriage on my behalf, nor do I have any spokespeople speaking on my behalf.
I don’t think your information is correct, and I’ve copied my lawyer on it, she continued.
On Tuesday, she responded, “There was no physical abuse in my marriage,” when asked what information was inaccurate and for her thoughts on the declaration. This is the only other thing I will say to you; I have already informed you that I will not be discussing my marriage to Pete. Please abide by this decision.
Tim Parlatore, Pete Hegseth’s attorney, denied the accusations.
“Sam has never claimed that there was any abuse; she acknowledged this in court filings and reiterated it throughout her FBI interview today. That is unaffected by the belated accusations made by Danielle Dietrich, a far-left, anti-Trump Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and has never gotten along with the Hegseth family,” he said in a statement.
“After an acrimonious divorce, Ms. Dietrich has had an axe to grind against the entire Hegseth family,” he stated. “Ms. Dietrich admits that she saw nothing but is now falsely accusing Sam of lying to both the Court and to the FBI because of private, undocumented statements that she allegedly made 10 years ago.”
In 2021, Pete and Samantha Hegseth signed a court statement stating that neither parent reported experiencing domestic violence.
Danielle Hegseth states in the declaration, a redacted copy of which NBC News has received, “I am deeply concerned about what Hegseth’s confirmation would mean for our military and our country, which is why I have chosen to come forward publicly, at significant personal sacrifice.”
She goes on to say that she has been told that making this public declaration will guarantee that those senators who are still undecided will vote against Hegseth’s confirmation, which is one of the reasons she came forward. However, I would not expose myself or the people mentioned in this statement to the public scrutiny that this declaration is likely to generate in order to ensure that.
The affidavit’s accusations depict Hegseth’s tense relationship with Samantha Hegseth, his second wife. After getting married in 2010, the couple split up and got a divorce in 2017. Together, they are parents to three kids.
According to the source, Danielle made the decision to speak with the committee staff after giving it some thought. However, she states in the affidavit that she had previously discussed the allegations in it with an FBI agent during an interview that was done on December 30, 2024, as part of the FBI’s background investigation into Pete Hegseth.
Two sources with knowledge of the briefing’s contents claim that when the Trump transition team briefed the committee’s Republican chair and Democratic ranking member about the findings of Pete Hegseth’s background check before the hearing, they were not informed of the information Danielle gave to the FBI.
According to the source, Danielle made the decision to speak with the committee staff after giving it some thought. However, she states in the affidavit that she had previously discussed the allegations in it with an FBI agent during an interview that was done on December 30, 2024, as part of the FBI’s background investigation into Pete Hegseth.
Two sources with knowledge of the briefing’s contents claim that when the Trump transition team briefed the committee’s Republican chair and Democratic ranking member about the findings of Pete Hegseth’s background check before the hearing, they were not informed of the information Danielle gave to the FBI.
Danielle Hegseth claims in the affidavit that on January 18, 2025, four days after Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, she provided the FBI with more information regarding Hegseth. NBC News was not given a response from the FBI.
Separately, Hegseth’s advisor and paid consultant for the Trump transition, Arthur Schwartz, stated in an email on Monday that even SASC Democrats thought the accusations were too weak to bring up with Mr. Hegseth or their Republican committee colleagues. This speaks volumes about the accusations and NBC’s publication standards. An email on Tuesday seeking comment on the presence of the affidavit was not answered by Schwartz.
Danielle states in the affidavit that she learnt a lot about Samantha’s circumstances from her around the time of the alleged incidents.
Nevertheless, for the reasons mentioned above, and above all because it aligned with my own observations of Hegseth’s unpredictable and violent conduct over a long period of time, I believe what Samantha told me, Danielle added.
According to three individuals, certain democratic staffers first received material now included in the affidavit directly from Danielle three days after Hegseth’s confirmation hearing before the Armed Service committee.
This comes after concerns over Hegseth’s drinking were reported by NBC News and other media outlets. Hegseth will assume a significant role in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet if confirmed, managing the Department of Defense and its millions of workers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and other branches.
The accusations also cast doubt on the extent and depth of the FBI’s investigation into Hegseth’s background, what the Armed Services Committee’s staff and members knew and when, and what the Trump transition told the committee before to last week’s confirmation hearing.
Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was asked whether he is worried about fresh accusations against Hegseth surfaced after his committee voted party-line on Monday to send Hegseth’s nomination to the full Senate for a vote as soon as this week.
“I believe that earlier today, all of you likely heard a whisper of a rumor that was unsubstantiated, anonymous, and contradicted some court documents that were placed in the record at the hearing,” Wicker stated.
As early as Thursday, the entire Senate is anticipated to vote on Hegseth’s candidacy. Hegseth would only require a simple majority of the Senate to be confirmed, which means that 51 of the Senate’s 53 Republicans would have to back him.