President of Donald Trump The nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is pushing back on a last-minute affidavit from his former son-in-law with new allegations.
Hegseth's attorney, Timothy C. Parlatore, wrote to Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., on Wednesday to drop the charges. created by Danielle Dietrichformerly Hegseth, in his affidavit.
“Although it is difficult to respond, or to credit anonymous accusations, the advantage of the person who puts his name in the report is that we can check their honesty and impartiality. In this case, honesty and impartiality are easy to recognize, ” he said. said in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Pete Hegseth's lawyer is urging senators not to rely on an affidavit from his brother's ex-wife. (Reuters)
Dietrich's affidavit was obtained by Fox News on Tuesday. Hegseth's first sister-in-law, who was once married to his brother, said that Hegseth had a drinking problem and that he sometimes made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety.
He provided several anecdotes in the affidavit, including an incident where Samantha allegedly hid in a closet from her husband.
However, Dietrich noted that he had never personally witnessed any abuse, physical or sexual, from Pete against Samantha.
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The affidavit also addresses reports of Hegseth's heavy drinking, citing several specific incidents, including one at a strip club.
After the affidavit was filed, Sen. Jack ReedDR.I., a ranking member of the committee, said in a statement, “As I have said for months, reports of Mr. Hegseth's history of sexual abuse, alcohol abuse and public misconduct require Because of the thorough investigation, I am concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms my fears.
“Mr. Hegseth's alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct is appalling. This behavior would disqualify any service member from any leadership position in the military, let alone by being confirmed as the secretary of defense.”
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Hegseth had a hearing in committee last week. (Anna Moneymaker)
In the document, Dietrich also suggested that her ex-husband is not qualified to be secretary of defense.
“He openly admits that his goal is to tarnish the name and he has been assured by Democrats that such a statement will have that effect,” Parlatore said in his letter to Wicker.
He pointed out that “the vast majority” of what Dietrich was talking about were events that he admitted he was not a witness to. Hegseth's lawyer added: “He disputes Sam's sworn statements in the divorce proceedings where he believes there was no abuse.”
Parlatore also pointed out that his allegations “wrongly” accuse Samantha of lying during the FBI's background check of Hegseth.
“It is important to note that Ms. Dietrich told the FBI all of this on December 30, 2024, but the FBI was unable to substantiate her allegations, which were then categorically denied by Sam, who was a real participant,” he said.
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Scott criticized Democrats for obstructing the confirmation process. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“There is no basis for thanking this serious and questionable affidavit, which was sent at the 11th hour in a clear and legitimate attempt to try to discredit Mr. Hegseth's testimony,” the letter concluded.
While Democrats were quick to request an affidavit confirming Hegseth's ineligibility for the role, Republicans criticized them for seeking to obstruct the confirmation process.
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“They're just Democrats, they're blocking things,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told reporters.
“They're just trying to make sure Trump doesn't get along with his administration. It's not good for the American people. President Trump won the election. If he won the election by (a) significant margin . . , they should stop being obstacles,” he continued.