Pete Hegseth was confirmed as Defense Secretary Friday evening, despite a last-minute attempt to derail his confirmation with allegations reminiscent of the Brett Kavanaugh smear campaign.
Danielle Hegseth Dietrich, ex-wife of Hegseth’s brother, accused him of abusing his former wife, Samantha Deering, in an affidavit. Dietrich claimed Deering “feared for her life” and hid from Hegseth’s alleged rage. However, Deering swiftly denied the allegations, threatened legal action, and emphasized she never authorized anyone to speak on her behalf, discrediting Dietrich’s claims entirely.
Dietrich later admitted she was “promised” her affidavit would impact key votes but did not specify who made the promise.
“A week ago, I was promised that my statement, on the record, would corroborate the other accusations and make a difference in key votes,” she said in a statement. “But in the end, it did not. What happened today will make women who have experienced abuse and mistreatment even less forthcoming because the men involved in the decisions leading to Hegseth's confirmation have actively perpetuated the mechanisms, including gag orders and fear of retaliation, that keep women silent.”
Previous: Was Pete Hegseth's Accuser Offered A Quid Pro Quo For Her Bogus Affidavit?
It was troubling to hear that Dietrich was “promised” something in return for making a bogus statement on the record. Suspicion first fell on Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who requested the affidavit, but new information reveals that it was actually Sen. Thom Tillis who made the promise to Dietrich.
“A key witness in the contentious Senate confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was assured by Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) that her sworn statement would carry weight in last week’s vote and could convince Republican senators to oppose the nominee, according to people familiar with the events,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
Tillis personally assured Danielle Hegseth in a call on Jan. 19, witnessed by two other people, that if she signed the statement testifying that she believed her former brother-in-law Pete Hegseth has an alcohol abuse problem and was abusive to his second wife, it would carry weight, and potentially move three votes—his own, along with the votes of Sens. Susan Collins (R., Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), those people said.
On Friday, Tillis became the 50th senator to vote “yes” on Hegseth, clinching his confirmation to lead the Pentagon.
In a statement, Tillis didn’t dispute The Wall Street Journal’s reporting about the call. He said Danielle Hegseth’s statement “did carry weight, which is why I communicated my concerns to the White House and spent days doing my due diligence and seeing if there were any firsthand corroborating accounts of the sworn statement.” He continued that he was “not able to speak with anyone who provided firsthand corroboration.”
Tillis said he did extensive research including long conversations with Hegseth and his vote “makes it clear where the facts ultimately led,” and that he looks forward to working with the new Defense secretary.
Hegseth’s legal team criticized Danielle Dietrich as a “far-left Democrat” with a personal vendetta against the Hegseth family, stemming from her bitter divorce from Hegseth’s brother.
Tillis’s actions added unnecessary drama to the process and nearly thwarted Hegseth’s nomination. Hegseth was confirmed in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. Tillis ulimately voted in favor of Hegseth’s confirmation, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook his sleazy scheme.
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