The lawyer for Hegseth criticizes the "dubious and inaccurate" testimony of his ex-sister-in-law.

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, is responding to a last-minute affidavit from his ex-sister-in-law with new allegations.

On Wednesday, Timothy C. Parlatore, Hegseth's lawyer, wrote to SASC Chairman Roger Wicker to refute the allegations made by Danielle Dietrich in her affidavit.

"Examining the credibility and bias of someone who puts their name on the record is beneficial, even if it is difficult to respond to or credit anonymous allegations. In this case, the credibility and bias is easily discernible," he stated in the obtained correspondence.

On Tuesday, Planet Chronicle obtained Dietrich's affidavit, which was allegedly made by Hegseth's former sister-in-law, who was once married to his brother. She claimed that Hegseth had an alcohol abuse problem and made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety at times.

In the affidavit, she recounted several anecdotes, including an incident where Samantha allegedly concealed herself in a closet from her spouse.

Dietrich stated that she never observed any form of abuse, either physical or sexual, from Pete towards Samantha.

The affidavit contained anecdotes about Hegseth's alleged heavy drinking, specifically mentioning several occasions, including one at a strip club.

The ranking member of the committee, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., stated after the affidavit was reported, "I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this affidavit confirms my fears. 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."

"The alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is concerning. This behavior would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense."

Dietrich proposed that her former brother-in-law is unsuitable for the position of secretary of defense.

In his letter to Wicker, Parlatore stated that 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.

Hegseth's lawyer stated that the "vast majority" of what Dietrich referred to were events she admitted to not being a witness to. Additionally, the lawyer pointed out that she materially contradicts Sam's sworn statements in the divorce proceedings where she acknowledges that there was no abuse.

Samantha was accused of lying during the FBI's background check of Hegseth by Parlatore, who claimed that her statements "unintentionally" implicated Samantha in the lie.

On December 30, 2024, Ms. Dietrich informed the FBI about the incident, but the FBI was unable to verify her claims, which were later denied by Sam, the actual participant.

The affidavit, submitted at the last minute in a partisan effort to hinder Mr. Hegseth's confirmation, lacks any credibility and is therefore not trustworthy.

Republicans accused Democrats of trying to hinder Hegseth's confirmation by claiming the affidavit showed he was unsuitable for the role.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., stated to reporters that they were simply acting as Democrats by being obstructionists.

President Trump won the election by a significant margin. If he had won the electoral vote by a significant margin, they should stop being obstructionists.