Hegseth’s ex-wife makes new statement to FBI after scrutiny of his nomination

Washington
CNN
—

Pete Hegseth’s ex-wife recently gave a new statement to the FBI about the defense nominee’s alcohol consumption, according to two sources familiar with the matter, an issue that has become a source of controversy during his confirmation process.

Senate Defense Chairman Roger Wicker and ranking Democrat Jack Reed were briefed on Samantha Hegseth’s previously unreported statement on Jan. 16, two days after the committee held Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, the sources said. Wicker and Reed were initially briefed on the FBI background check before the confirmation hearing, according to another source familiar with the matter. Since then, the FBI has interviewed Samantha Hegseth and has included her statement in its supplemental report.

Wicker said in a statement late Wednesday night that reports “of a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Pete Hegseth that I received last week are starkly and factually inaccurate” and that he stands by Hegseth’s nomination.

“It is troubling that a sensitive, lengthy process that committee leadership has used to vet the president’s staff is being sued in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives,” Wicker said, noting that he has been briefed three times by the FBI about their background checks. into Hegseth.

On Thursday, after CNN’s report, Reed disputed Wicker’s characterization of the FBI briefing process.

“As a general rule, I do not publicly discuss the content of an FBI background investigation,” the ranking Democrat said in a statement. “However, two things are true in this case: one, during my time in the Senate, the FBI has never before been required to provide multiple briefings on a nominee for Secretary of Defense, and two, the recent reports on the content of the background briefings on Mr. .Hegseth are true and accurate.”

Democrats pressed Hegseth during his confirmation hearing on allegations of both sexual misconduct and excessive drinking. Hegseth has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing, including having a drinking problem, but has said he would not drink while defense secretary if confirmed.

The FBI had contact with Samantha Hegseth, and she gave a statement discussing concerns about Pete Hegseth’s drinking, the two sources said. A source familiar with the statement said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.”

The in-the-know source noted that Samantha and Pete Hegseth have been divorced since 2017.

“There is nothing new here and we look forward to the confirmation vote,” Tim Parlatore, Pete Hegseth’s attorney, told CNN.

Samantha Hegseth has not responded to CNN’s request for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

Reed and Wicker received briefings days before the committee’s vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination to the Senate floor. The vote was along party lines with Reed voting against Hegseth’s nomination and Wicker voting to move him up to the floor.

Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, submitted a statement to the Senate about Pete Hegseth’s behavior that became public Tuesday, accusing Hegseth of being “abusive” toward his second wife, Samantha Hegseth.

Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother from 2011 to 2019, did not specify the nature of the abuse in the statement, writing that she “did not personally witness any physical or sexual abuse from Hegseth,” but that Samantha Hegseth at times feared for her safety and had a code word in case she needed help getting away from her husband.

Danielle Hegseth also claimed that she witnessed Hegseth abusing alcohol at several family gatherings and that twice during 2013 she saw him drinking excessively in public.

Parlatore said in a statement to CNN on Tuesday that Danielle Hegseth “hates Pete and there is no truth to any of this. Most of what she’s saying is stuff she didn’t actually witness.”

During his confirmation hearing last week, Hegseth acknowledged he was “not a perfect person” but claimed the allegations against him, including an allegation he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017, were part of a “coordinated smear campaign .”

Democrats pressed Hegseth during the hearing on allegations of both sexual misconduct and excessive drinking.

After the release of Danielle Hegseth’s statement on Tuesday, Democrats complained that the information was not part of the FBI’s background investigation that was briefed to the heads of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Danielle Hegseth submitted the affidavit at the request of Reed.

This story has been updated with statements from committee members.