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First in Fox: Senator Thom Tillis, RN.C., whose vote consolidated the confirmation of the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last month, opened about the effort to corroborate the last minute accusations against the president Donald Trump’s candidate.
“Every time you have an accusation and someone is willing to put it in a jury testimony, you owe the process to review it and not only undo it,” the North Carolina Republican told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“And that is exactly what I did. And then I concluded that I would support Pete’s nomination.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Senator Thom Tillis toured his thinking process in the hours prior to the confirmation vote of the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. (Reuters)
Hegseth was confirmed after a tie vote Vice President JD Vance, which makes the final margin 51-50.
Three Republicans: Senators Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaaska, voted against Hegseth.
Given the majority of the 53 seats of the Republican Conference, the nominees can only afford to lose three votes, assuming that all Democrats oppose and each senator will attend.
Tillis’s decision on whether hegseth was not revealed until minutes before casting his vote. If it became the Republican fourth to oppose Hegseth, the confirmation would have failed.
The senator asked Heghseth several additional questions after the new accusations and the hours arose until his confirmation vote decreased.
The response letter of the nominee, which proved to be for the satisfaction of Tillis, was shared in X by Hegseth during the vote.
Speaking about the issue with Fox News Digital, the senator explained that he had “developed a reputation for completing due diligence” and that he takes his role seriously.
According to Tillis, he agreed to speak with the former sister -in -law of Hegseth, Danielle, before she presented an affidavit claiming that her ex -wife Samantha feared for her safety, in addition to claims of alcohol abuse.
Danielle is not Hegseth’s ex -wife’s sister. She is her brother’s ex -wife.
The call between Senator and Danielle was about “what would be conceptually in the affidavit,” Tillis said.
“And I said: ‘If that is true, and it could be corroborated, then it would carry weight,'” recalled Tillis.
However, he said that the lack of corroboration left accusations without credibility.
“I could never talk directly to a person who could corroborate a person’s testimony,” he said.
Tillis cemented Hegseth’s confirmation with his vote. (Anna MoneyMaker/Getty images)
After the confirmation of Hegesh, it was reported that the sources said that Tillis had “personally secured” Danielle that if she provided the affidavit, it would be significant and could persuade the Republicans to oppose the nominated for the Secretary of Defense, According to the Wall Street Journal.
When asked about the report, Tillis emphasized that he gave the warning that he must be corroborated in his conversation with Danielle.
“Corroboration means that at least two people must get involved, and they have to participate in the event, not in a spectator. And I could not do it. I tried to do it, but I could not reach that point. Therefore, I had to do the same judgment I made with the other accusations, “he explained.
Hegseth swore shortly after being confirmed. (Photo AP/Kevin Wolf)
Tillis would not disseminate whether Danielle or his lawyer suggested that he had witnessed the alleged events.
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“I will not go into those discussions because I know that my conversation leaked a couple of hours after having it on Sunday. Clearly, I would have no reason to do it. But I did not filter private conversations. He doesn’t even discuss them at any level of detail “, said.
Multiple requests for comments to Danielle’s lawyer, Leita Walker, of Fox News Digital were not answered.
