Pete Hegseth Ex-Wife At Time Of Sexual Assault Allegation Rebuffed By FBI In Week Before Confirmation Hearing: Report

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Senate Democrats are raising alarms over critical gaps in the FBI’s background check on Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick after the bureau reportedly failed to interview Hegseth’s second ex-wife Samantha Hegseth in its investigation—-just days ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing.

The FBI’s report, presented to the Senate panel last week, comes under scrutiny amid allegations of sexual misconduct against Hegseth, including a 2017 incident in Monterey, California. While Hegseth maintains the encounter was consensual, he later settled with the woman for an undisclosed amount.

Now, the New York Times reported Monday that sources close to the process say that despite reaching out to Samantha Hegseth for a brief conversation on January 8, FBI investigators reportedly did not follow up. Investigators instead left her multiple calls unanswered in attempts to provide further information.

Samantha Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth from 2010 to 2017 when the sexual misconduct allegations emerged. The pair divorced in 2018, following Hegseth’s affair with a Fox News producer. At the time, his mother condemned his alleged abusive behavior toward women in a scathing email published in December by the New York Times but has since reversed her stance.

“There are significant gaps and inadequacies in the report, including the failure to interview some of the key potential witnesses with personal knowledge of improprieties or abuse,” Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told reporters on Monday.

The Trump transition team’s influence over the scope of the FBI investigation has also raised questions. Historically, transition teams can set parameters for background checks, but it remains unclear what directives were given for Hegseth’s vetting.

“My understanding is that some [witnesses] would like to be contacted by the FBI investigative team or the vetters, and they have not been talked to,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) during an MSNBC interview on Monday night.

The issue is likely to be raised during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, which will begin at 9.30 am ET on Tuesday, with the Senate panel set to vote on January 20, the day of Trump’s inauguration.