President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, is pushing back on a last-minute affidavit from his former sister-in-law with new allegations.
Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy C. Parlatore, wrote to Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., on Wednesday to dispel the claims made by Danielle Dietrich, formerly Hegseth, in her affidavit.
“While it is difficult to respond to, or to credit anonymous allegations, the benefit of someone putting their name on the record is that we can examine their credibility and bias. In this case, the credibility and bias is easy to discern,” he said in the correspondence 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 former sister-in-law, once married to his brother, alleged that Hegseth had an alcohol abuse problem and that at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety.
She provided a number of anecdotes in the affidavit, including an event where Samantha supposedly hid in a closet from her husband.
However, Dietrich noted that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, from Pete against Samantha.
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The affidavit also referred to anecdotes about Hegseth’s alleged heavy drinking, referring to several specific occasions, including one at a strip club.
After the affidavit was reported, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the committee’s ranking member, said in a statement, “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. I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms my fears.
“The alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is disturbing. This behavior would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense.”
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Hegseth had a hearing in the committee last week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In the document, Dietrich further suggested her former brother-in-law is not fit to be the secretary of defense.
“She is openly admitting that her purpose is to sink the nomination and has been promised by Democrats that such a statement would have that effect,” Parlatore said in his letter to Wicker.
He pointed out that the “vast majority” of what Dietrich referred to were events she admitted to not being a witness to. “She materially contradicts Sam’s sworn statements in the divorce proceedings where she acknowledges that there was no abuse,” Hegseth’s lawyer added.
Parlatore also pointed out that her claims “inadvertently” accuse Samantha of lying during the FBI’s background check of Hegseth.
“It is important to note that Ms. Dietrich told all of this to the FBI on December 30, 2024, but the FBI was unable to corroborate her claims, which were then flatly refuted by Sam, the actual participant,” he said.
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Scott slammed Democrats for obstructing the confirmation process. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“There is no basis to credit this deeply flawed and questionable affidavit, which was submitted at the 11th hour in a clear and admitted partisan attempt to derail Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation,” the letter concluded.
Dietrich’s lawyer, Leita Walker, responded in a statement: “Danielle will not be commenting beyond her statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which required much courage. She asks for respect for her privacy and the privacy of those she cares about, including Pete Hegseth’s former wives and children.”
While Democrats were quick to claim the affidavit affirmed that Hegseth is not fit for the role, Republicans slammed them as looking to obstruct the confirmation process.
Wicker told reporters on Wednesday that he had seen the affidavit and “I am still a firm yes” on Hegseth’s confirmation.
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“I think the nomination is gonna go forward and that this essentially doesn’t change much,” he said.
“They’re just being the Democrats, being obstructionists,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told reporters.
“They’re just trying to make sure Trump doesn’t have his administration team put together. It’s not good for the American public. President Trump won the election. If he won the electoral vote by [a] significant margin, they should stop being obstructionists,” he continued.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].
