Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s former sister-in-law submitted an affidavit to the Senate Armed Services Committee saying she believes he “has an alcohol abuse problem and was abusive to his ex-wife Samantha.”

Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Mr. Hegseth’s brother Nathaniel Hegseth for eight years ending in 2019, said in the affidavit that she was willing to go public with her concerns, which she also shared with the FBI, because she believes Mr. Hegseth is “unfit” to serve as secretary of defense.

The affidavit touches on events that Danielle Hegseth experienced personally and ones she did not witness but says were relayed to her by Samantha Hegseth. Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer said all of the allegations are false, and that Danielle Hegseth is an anti-Trump Democrat who harbors animosity for Mr. Hegseth’s family.

Samantha Hegseth told NBC News on Tuesday that her then-husband did not physically abuse her.

The affidavit comes one day after the Armed Services Committee reported Mr. Hegseth’s nomination to the floor on a 14-13, party-line vote.

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the panel’s top Democrat, contacted Danielle Hegseth for her testimony. He said the affidavit confirms his fears that the background check process conducted for Mr. Hegseth’s nomination was inadequate.

“The alleged pattern of abuse and misconduct by Mr. Hegseth is disturbing, ” he said. “This behavior would disqualify any service member from holding any leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the Secretary of Defense.”

Danielle Hegseth’s personal experience includes testimony that Mr. Hegseth drunkenly yelled at her, very close to her face, in 2009 because he was angry that she walked out of the room while he was telling a story that had a racial slant that bothered her.

“He followed me out of the room and yelled at me that I was disrespecting him by walking away and that I disrespected his family,” Danielle Hegseth said. “I can’t recall the other specific things he said, but he was very aggressive, in my face, dressed in his military uniform. Hegseth stands six feet tall and I am five feet, six inches, and it was very intimidating.”

She said that was one of several times in which she witnessed Mr. Hegseth abuse alcohol, both in private and public places, and make “disparaging comments” about race.

“Other times he would make rude comments about women’s looks or bodies or his sexual interactions with women (one time proudly stating that he never used condoms) to get a rise out of me,” Danielle Hegseth said. “When I would get upset or clap back at him, he would just laugh at me for being overly sensitive.”

She also testified that she heard Mr. Hegseth say women should not have the right to vote and should not work.

Mr. Hegseth faced several questions during his confirmation hearing about his past comments saying he does not believe women should serve in combat. He said his comments were about ensuring high standards for combat roles, not women’s qualifications.

Danielle Hegseth also testified to allegations of spousal abuse, but said she did not witness that firsthand.

She said Mr. Hegseth’s second wife, Samantha, told her that “she once hid in her closet from Hegseth because she feared for her personal safety.” She couldn’t recall the exact time frame of the incident but said it was between 2014-2016.

She also said that Samantha Hegseth had a plan to text her a safe word if she ever felt unsafe and needed to get away from Mr. Hegseth so she could call someone else who was looped in on the plan to fly to Minnesota to help her escape.

“Samantha did text me this code word sometime in 2015-2016, and I did call the other person to let that person know Samantha needed help,” Danielle Hegseth said, although she did not account for what happened after that call.

“I believe what Samantha told me because what she told me is consistent with what I personally observed of Hegseth’s erratic and aggressive behavior over many years,” she said.

The affidavit was first reported by NBC News, which obtained emailed comments from Samantha Hegseth saying the claims she was abused were inaccurate.

“There was no physical abuse in my marriage,” she wrote in the email. “This is the only further statement I will make to you, I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete.”

The couple married in 2010 and their divorce was finalized in 2018. They have three children.

Danielle Hegseth said she came forward “at significant personal sacrifice” only because she was assured her statement could help sway undecided senators to vote against confirming the Defense Secretary nominee.

“But for that assurance, I would not subject myself or others referred to in this statement to the public scrutiny this statement is likely to cause,” she said.

Tim Parlatore, an attorney for Mr. Hegseth, said in an email to The Washington Times that the allegations Danielle Hegseth raised are all “completely false.”

“She has admitted to doing this to try to sink his nomination and is clearly parroting what she heard in the anonymous claims,” he said. “She relayed all of this to the FBI in December, but they were not able to verify anything she said.”

Mr. Parlatore said Samantha Hegseth previously signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse, which she recently affirmed in her FBI interview.

“Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump far-left Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and never got along with the Hegseth family, do nothing to change that,” he said. “After an acrimonious divorce, Ms. Dietrich has had an axe to grind against the entire Hegseth family.”

If all Democrats oppose his nomination on the floor, Mr. Hegseth can afford up to three defections from Republicans. While most GOP senators have declared support for Mr. Hegseth, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have yet to take a public position.

Ms. Collins told reporters before the affidavit came out that she was still reviewing Mr. Hegseth’s committee hearing and remained undecided.

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.