Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under pressure to nominate a new Army Secretary in the midst of a war with Iran, and he's reportedly considering his own Pentagon press secretary — a man who once dropped a Senate bid over accusations he choked his wife and abused their children.
According to The Hill, Sean Parnell could be tabbed for the high-pressure job.
Parnell, also a senior adviser to Hegseth, "has privately expressed his interest in the role," The Hill reported. He would succeed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is eyeing an exit from the Pentagon in the coming months, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The pressure on Hegseth to fill the position intensified after The New York Times reported this week that Army leadership has been "gutted" under him: the service has had no chief of staff since Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George without explanation in April, with no signs a replacement is imminent.
Parnell, a decorated Afghanistan War veteran awarded two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, ran for Congress twice before mounting a Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. He withdrew in November 2021 after losing a custody battle for his three children; the judge in that case said he found the abuse allegations from Parnell's estranged wife credible. Parnell has denied them, saying, "I never raised a hand in anger towards my wife or any of our three children."
According to the Washington Post, "[Laurie] Snell has accused Parnell of multiple forms of abuse before their separation, including choking her and hitting one of their children so hard he left a “full handprint” mark on the child’s back. She testified that Parnell has thrown chairs across the room toward her; pinned her down and screamed profanities at her; called her crazy in front of the children; and once dropped her off on Interstate 79 when she was six months pregnant and told her to get an abortion."
Reacting to The Hill's report, a Pentagon spokesperson told The Hill that Parnell is on Hegseth's short list despite his troubled history.
"Mr. Parnell has a deep bench of supporters throughout the Administration and has worked tirelessly to enable cultural change and accountability in the Pentagon,” they stated.
