{"slug":"pete-hegseth-sworn-affidavit-senate-2025","title":"Former Sister-in-Law's Sworn Affidavit to Senators Alleges Hegseth's Abusive and Drunken Conduct (2009–2016)","date":"2025-01-21","lastUpdated":"2026-10-09","description":"On January 21, 2025, four days before Pete Hegseth was sworn in as Secretary of Defense, his former sister-in-law Danielle Hegseth submitted a sworn affidavit to senators alleging that his second wife had feared him and kept an escape plan, and that she herself had witnessed his drunken and threatening behaviour between 2009 and 2013. Samantha Hegseth said there was no physical abuse in the marriage; Hegseth's lawyer called the claims false. The allegations have never been adjudicated.","summary":"Danielle Hegseth's sworn affidavit, submitted in response to a letter from Sen. Jack Reed, alleged alcohol abuse, threatening behaviour toward Hegseth's second wife, and public misconduct. The affidavit says much of what concerns the second wife was learned from her at the time, not witnessed; the wife has said there was no physical abuse in the marriage. Hegseth, through his lawyer, denied the claims.","category":"civil-rights","severity":"pre-office","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/senators-received-affidavit-containing-new-allegations-pete-hegseth-de-rcna188342","title":"Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claims","publisher":"NBC News"},{"url":"https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-statement-on-abuse-allegations-against-pete-hegseth","title":"Reed Statement on Abuse Allegations Against Pete Hegseth","publisher":"Office of Sen. Jack Reed"},{"url":"https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_119_1.xml","title":"Roll Call Votes, 119th Congress, 1st Session","publisher":"U.S. Senate"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["sworn-allegation","confirmation","pre-office"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[],"custom":{"posture":"reported","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Pete Hegseth","role":"Fox News host and veterans' advocate (at the time of the alleged conduct)"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2026-10-09","summary":"Added for the Before Office record. The Senate confirmed Hegseth as Secretary of Defense on January 24, 2025, and he was sworn in on January 25, 2025."}],"keyPoints":["Danielle Hegseth, Pete Hegseth's former sister-in-law, submitted a sworn affidavit to senators on January 21, 2025, in response to a January 18 letter from Sen. Jack Reed","She stated that Samantha Hegseth, his second wife (married 2010–2018), once hid in a closet to get away from him and kept an escape plan with a code word, which she activated once in 2015–2016; Danielle said she learned this from Samantha","She stated she personally saw him drunkenly yell in her face in 2009 and repeatedly shout \"No means yes!\" while very drunk at a bar in 2013","Samantha Hegseth told NBC News: \"There was no physical abuse in my marriage\"","Hegseth's lawyer, Tim Parlatore, called the claims \"clearly and obviously false to any objective observer\"","Sen. Reed said the affiant had been interviewed by the FBI in December 2024 and that those details \"did not appear to have been included\" in the background check briefing provided by the Trump transition team"],"verificationStatus":"cross-referenced","postureNote":"Sworn affidavit submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee during confirmation; never adjudicated. The central allegation about the second wife is secondhand; she has said there was no physical abuse in the marriage, and Hegseth, through his lawyer, denies the claims.","subjects":["pete-hegseth"],"legalStatus":"sworn-allegation"}}