Hegseth Ex-Sister-in-Law Tells Senators He Was ‘Abusive’ to Second Wife

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.