Pete Hegseth sister-in-law, in new signed testimony, says he raged at ex-wife
WASHINGTON — An affidavit by a former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of Defense, alleges that Hegseth regularly flew into alcohol-fueled rages, terrified his ex-wife and made sexist and racist comments.
The allegations in the affidavit come days before Hegseth’s nomination is taken up by the Senate. On Monday, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved Hegseth’s nomination, 14-13, along party lines.
Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, dismissed the allegations as false, noting that she has stated in court filings that there was no physical abuse in their marriage. Parlatore said the complainant was an opponent of Trump and that she had a vendetta against the Hegseth family after her divorce from Hegseth’s brother.
The sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, made the allegations to the FBI and recounted them for the Armed Services Committee because she does not believe Hegseth should be Defense secretary, according to the affidavit. She wrote that she did not personally witness abuse and that the events took place about 10 years ago.
A copy of the affidavit, obtained by Paste BN, was first reported by NBC News.
Among the allegations she made:
- Hegseth's second wife sought refuge in a closet after Hegseth threatened her.
- She was so concerned about her safety that she shared a code word with her sister-in-law to alert her when Hegseth threatened her. She texted the code word to the sister-in-law in 2015 or 2016.
- The complainant witnessed Hegseth drunk on several occasions, including one Christmas when he vomited and passed out. In another instance, at a bar in 2013 in Minneapolis, Hegseth danced with drinks in both hands, broke glasses and was dragged out. On the walk home he made comments that implied he condoned non-consensual sex.
- On another occasion in 2009, Hegseth was found drunk at a strip club in downtown Minneapolis in his military uniform, drunk and getting lap dances. He had to be dragged out of the club.
- He disparaged Hispanic people and said Christian people needed to have more babies than Muslims to avoid being overtaken.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee said the allegations about Hegseth demand a deeper dive into his background.
“As I have said for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseth’s history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation,” Reed said in a statement. “I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this sworn affidavit confirms that fact.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and veteran with no experience in government, was an unconventional choice to head the military's more-than-2 million servicemembers. But his criticisms of the Pentagon for adopting so-called "woke" ideology and diversity initiatives were in line with talking points common to Trump and his allies.
Hegseth faced a barrage of criticism after reports emerged that a woman had filed a sexual assault report against him in 2017.
According to a police report, the woman said she ended up alone in a room with Hegseth at a California hotel hosting a California Federation of Republican Women event where Hegseth spoke. She claimed Hegseth blocked her from leaving the room and knocked her phone away. The woman believed something may have been dropped in her drink, because her memories of what transpired were hazy.
Also brought up in the hearing were reports that Hegseth was intoxicated or drank while at work at Fox News and Concerned Veterans of America, which he previously headed. Hegseth was dismissed from the veterans' organization over his drinking, according to a New Yorker report.
Davis Winkie's role covering nuclear threats and national security at Paste BN is funded by a grant from Outrider Foundation. Outrider Foundation does not provide editorial input. You can reach Davis via email at dwinkie@usatoday.com or via the Signal encrypted messaging app at 770-539-3257.