Amid Republican claims of “anonymous smears,” a named person — and a Hegseth, at that — accuses the defense secretary nominee of abusive behavior.

Senators vetting the nomination of Pete Hegseth for defense secretary received an affidavit from a former sister-in-law alleging that the onetime Fox News was abusive to his second wife to the point where she feared for her safety.

The Defense secretary nominee's former sister-in-law, in an affidavit, said she witnessed his drunken aggression and that his second wife worried about her safety.

Pete Hegseth's former sister-in-law said in an affidavit to senators on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon abused his second ex-wife to the point where she once hid in a closet and gave friends a code word to use in a crisis.

Trump's defence secretary nominee has denied claims of spousal abuse, made by his former-sister in law in an affidavit.

The former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth told senators in a sworn affidavit that he caused his second wife to fear for her personal safety and abused alcohol over the course of many years.