Hegseth Considers Army Secretary Accused of Horrific Abuse

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has his eyes on his next Army secretary, and true to form, the leading candidate’s résumé includes credible domestic abuse allegations.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, Hegseth’s senior adviser, and a two-time failed congressional candidate, has been pushing his own name for the job for a while. Hegseth is apparently considering it, The Hill reported Thursday, even with the accusations against Parnell.

After losing his bid for Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district in 2020, Parnell decided to run again for the state’s open Senate seat in 2022. But he ended his campaign after losing a custody battle over domestic violence allegations. Panell’s wife testified that he had choked her, strangled her, and verbally and physically abused their children. The judge ruled that there was “credible evidence” for the abuse allegations, though Parnell denied them.

Parnell’s potential nomination comes after months of tension between Hegseth and current Army Secretary Dan Driscoll over the defense secretary’s quest to purge senior military officials and remake the Department of Defense in his own image. Driscoll is expected to leave the Pentagon as soon as Labor Day.

Driscoll is a close ally and friend to Vice President JD Vance and until recently was at the top of the list of names to replace Hegseth, should the defense secretary end up on President Trump’s bad side. Parnell, on the other hand, is likely to make Hegseth’s grip on the armed forces all the more absolute.

“Mr. Parnell has a deep bench of supporters throughout the Administration and has worked tirelessly to enable cultural change and accountability in the Pentagon,” a Pentagon official with knowledge of Hegseth’s decision-making process told The Hill. “Leveraging his extensive combat and executive experience, he will bring the accountability, change, and engaged transformational leadership the Army so desperately needs at this time.”

Parnell’s potential rise in Hegseth’s Defense Department adds his name to the growing list of men who have recently been accused of sexual assault or misconduct while they were in positions of power in Washington. That list includes Cory Mills, Max Miller, Matt Gaetz, Tony Gonzales, Eric Swalwell, and Jimmy Gomez.