Hegseth, through his attorney, firmly denied the latest allegations, which come as his nomination to lead the Pentagon is set to go before the Senate this week.

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

Senators on both sides of the aisle raised new questions on Wednesday about the vetting process for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, pointing to allegations that were not disclosed by the Trump transition team as part of Hegseth’s FBI background check that was transmitted to two key lawmakers ahead of his confirmation hearing.