Senate Democrats are sounding the alarm over a sworn affidavit from the ex-sister-in-law of Protection secretary nominee Pete Hegseth that accuses him of being abusive towards his second spouse.
The doc emerged Tuesday, someday after the Senate Armed Companies Committee superior Hegseth’s nomination on a party-line vote and as Senate Republicans push to finish his affirmation within the coming days.
Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother, detailed the claims in a six-page assertion that stated Samantha Hegseth, the second spouse of the Protection secretary nominee, as soon as needed to conceal in a closet out of worry and devised a plan to deploy if she ever wanted to get away.
It additionally talked about a number of situations of alcohol abuse over a few years.
“I believe Hegseth to be an erratic, volatile person with an alcohol abuse problem,” she wrote, based on a redacted model seen by The Hill. “I do not believe he is trustworthy or of good character. It is my opinion he is unfit to serve as Secretary of Defense.”
Samantha Hegseth denied the allegations in an electronic mail to NBC Information.
“First and foremost, I have not and will not comment on my marriage to Pete Hegseth. I do not have representatives speaking on my behalf, nor have I ever asked anyone to share or speak about the details of my marriage on my behalf, whether it be a reporter, a committee member, a transition team member, etc,” she wrote.
She added, “I do not believe your information to be accurate, and I have cc’d my lawyer.”
However the eleventh-hour revelations brought about rising misery for Democrats already distrustful of Pete Hegseth and uncertain of his capacity to guide the huge company.
“It means we shouldn’t rush this,” stated Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Armed Companies panel. “There is no need to do this in the next day or two. This should not be rushed because I believe the allegations raise other questions.”
Shortly after NBC Information reported on Danielle Hegseth’s assertion, Senate Democrats on the committee individually seen the unredacted model of the affidavit and emerged upset and anxious that the information could be too late to cease the nomination.
“The report that has come to light is entirely consistent with everything that we have already learned about Pete Hegseth,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) stated, pointing to what she stated was Hegseth’s public drunkenness, “conduct unbecoming” of somebody donning navy costume and his attitudes towards girls.
Republicans have decried the nameless experiences surrounding Hegseth’s nomination, together with these associated to a 2017 allegation of sexual assault that was unknown to President Trump’s transition workforce on the time of Hegseth’s nomination. Hegseth has denied wrongdoing.
Nevertheless, Democrats had been fast to notice that the ex-sister-in-law not solely put her identify on the affidavit however swore an oath underneath a penalty of perjury.
Warren famous that there have been no Republican members of the panel within the room to look at the affidavit, and reporters current didn’t see any GOP lawmakers enter the Senate Armed Companies Committee room to take action.
Danielle Hegseth wrote in her assertion that she mentioned the Pentagon nominee throughout an interview with the FBI in December, and that she was reiterating these feedback to the Armed Companies Committee after the bureau refused to launch to her any transcripts of her interview.
She stated that it was unclear whether or not any of her feedback made it into the FBI’s report back to the panel on the Fox Information host — a growth that additionally involved Democrats.
“It’s clear that the FBI has not followed up on the leads that it’s been given and has rushed through a report that is incomplete,” Warren stated.
Timothy Parlatore, a lawyer for the Pentagon nominee, dismissed the allegations and stated that Danielle Hegseth has an “axe to grind.”
“Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse, she signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview. Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump far left Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and never got along with the Hegseth family, do nothing to change that,” he stated in an announcement to NBC Information.
“After an acrimonious divorce, Ms. Dietrich has had an axe to grind against the entire Hegseth family,” he added. “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.”
Democrats declined to reveal what was within the unredacted model, together with whether or not it contained a second allegation of sexual assault.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), an Armed Companies panel member, instructed reporters that the unredacted report was “even more powerful” however declined to go any additional.
What stays unclear, nonetheless, is whether or not the event will change any votes on the Republican facet or have an effect on Hegseth’s affirmation course of. He can lose as much as three members and nonetheless get throughout the end line to turn out to be secretary.
Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) indicated plans to maneuver within the coming days on extra of Trump’s nationwide safety nominees, together with Hegseth and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), who was tapped to guide the Division of Homeland Safety.
Senate Democrats are anticipated to pressure plenty of procedural votes with a view to stall the eventual affirmation, one Senate Democratic aide instructed The Hill.
However barring any last-minute adjustments of coronary heart by a requisite variety of GOP members, Democrats are anxious that this information won’t change the top end result.
“Yes, I think it would have been helpful to have had it early,” Warren stated when requested if she wished Danielle Hegseth went public previous to Tuesday.
“What I read in that affidavit reinforces the idea that not only is Pete Hegseth not qualified to be secretary of Defense, he is truly a danger,” she added.
