Hegseth Attorney Pushes Back Against Latest Accuser

The attorney for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth pushed back on the latest claims against President Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon in a letter sent to the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In the letter, obtained by NewsNation, attorney Timothy Parlatore wrote to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) telling him the person who came forward with the latest allegations against Hegseth – Danielle Dietrich, the ex-wife of Hegseth’s brother – was a “lifelong Democrat” and had issues with her “credibility and bias.”

Parlatore quoted Dietrich saying she had “been assured that making this public statement will ensure that certain Senators who are still on the fence will vote against Hegseth's confirmation.”

Parlatore added: “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 further noted that Dietrich is represented by a law firm with “notable connections to the Democratic Party” and which normally bills at a rate that is “far beyond Ms. Dietrich’s means,” writing, “It is clear that partisans are funding Ms. Dietrich in her efforts to hurt Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation.”

Parlatore also noted that Dietrich – whose affidavit accuses Hegseth of abusing his second wife – contradicts several of the second wife’s sworn statements in the divorce proceedings, and he claimed Dietrich, herself, admitted she did not witness the majority of the claims that she made.

“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,” Parlatore wrote. “I would respectfully submit that you can rely upon the Minnesota Court records and the FBI’s findings to reject this perjurious affidavit and move forward to confirm Mr. Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.”

The letter comes after Dietrich’s sworn affidavit surfaced Tuesday, one day after the Senate Armed Services Committee advanced Hegseth’s nomination on a party-line vote, prompting Senate Democrats to sound the alarm over the 11th-hour nature of the allegations.

Dietrich detailed the claims in a six-page statement that said Samantha Hegseth, the second wife of the Defense secretary nominee, once had to hide in a closet out of fear and devised a plan to deploy if she ever needed to get away.

It also mentioned multiple instances of alcohol abuse over many years. 

“I believe Hegseth to be an erratic, volatile person with an alcohol abuse problem,” she wrote, according to a redacted version viewed 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 email to NBC News, which Parlatore included in his letter to Wicker.

“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.” 

The Hill is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns NewsNation.