An ex-sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth’s submitted a sworn statement to senators on Tuesday that accused Mr. Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, of being so “abusive” toward his second wife that she once hid in a closet from him and had a safe word to call for help if she needed to get away from him.
In a Capitol Hill office on Tuesday afternoon, senators were reviewing the affidavit from Danielle Diettrich Hegseth, the former wife of Mr. Hegseth’s brother, which describes “erratic and aggressive” behavior by Pete Hegseth that caused his second wife to fear for her safety. According to a copy obtained by The Times, it also asserts that he frequently drank to excess both in public and private, including on one occasion she witnessed when he was wearing his military uniform.
The allegations, which Mr. Hegseth denied through his lawyer, surfaced as Republicans were working to speed him to confirmation, and could imperil that push. A handful of Republicans who have learned of the accusations in recent days have privately raised serious concerns about them, according to people familiar with the conversations, suggesting that the new information could potentially sap the necessary support for his approval by the Senate.
In her affidavit, reported earlier by NBC News, Danielle Hegseth said she had spoken with the F.B.I. about Pete Hegseth, and had come forward to Congress in the hopes that her account would persuade enough Republicans to block him. She said she was submitting her account at the request of Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
“I have been assured that making this public statement will ensure that certain senators who are still on the fence will vote against Hegseth’s confirmation,” she wrote.
Mr. Reed said the account describes behavior that is disqualifying, and “confirms my fears” that the F.B.I. background check on Mr. Hegseth had been incomplete.