Danielle Hegseth's Affidavit Alleges Pete Hegseth's Behavior Made Samantha Fear for Safety, Sen. Reed Requests Investigation

Jan 21, 2025, 10:40 PM

Senators have received a sworn affidavit from Danielle Hegseth, the former sister-in-law of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, alleging that his behavior caused his second wife, Samantha Hegseth, to fear for her safety. The affidavit claims that Pete Hegseth exhibited 'erratic and aggressive behavior over many years' and that Samantha once hid in a closet from him due to fear for her personal safety. Danielle Hegseth also alleges that Samantha had a plan to escape if she felt threatened, which included using a safe word or code word to alert Danielle for help. These allegations were made in response to a request from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who expressed concerns about the adequacy of Hegseth's background investigation. Pete Hegseth's attorney, Tim Parlatore, has dismissed the allegations as false, stating that Samantha Hegseth has never alleged any abuse and that both she and Pete Hegseth signed 2021 court documents stating there was no domestic abuse. Samantha Hegseth herself has denied any physical abuse in her marriage to Pete Hegseth, emphasizing that she will not comment further on their relationship.