Pete Hegseth, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be Defense Secretary, reportedly paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017. This information comes from the Associated Press and CBS News.
The amount was mentioned in Hegseth’s responses to Senator Elizabeth Warren during his Senate confirmation process. His nomination was moved forward on January 23.
Trump nominated Hegseth, a former host of Fox & Friends, as Defense Secretary on November 13. The following day, the City of Monterey, California, confirmed that an investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving Hegseth had been completed by their police department in November 2017.
Vanity Fair first reported on the alleged sexual assault.
According to a press release dated November 14, the alleged incident took place on October 7, 2017, between midnight and 7 a.m. the next morning. The woman reported that Hegseth took her phone and blocked the hotel door, preventing her from leaving. She reported bruises on her right thigh, and police stated that no weapons were involved.
Police sent the case to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office for review. On November 21, District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced that no charges would be filed in January 2018 due to a lack of “proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” as reported by the AP.
Hegseth and his lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, denied the claims, stating that there was a sexual encounter but not assault. Parlatore indicated that Hegseth reached a confidential settlement with the accuser in December 2020.
Parlatore described Hegseth as a victim of “blackmail” and “false claims of sexual assault,” according to ABC News.
“Knowing that it was the height of the MeToo movement and that any public accusation could lead to his immediate firing from Fox, Mr. Hegseth ultimately decided to settle for a much lower amount,” Parlatore said, while also claiming that the woman was the one who initiated sexual activity.
On Dec. 4, Hegseth said on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show that he paid a settlement but did not disclose the amount. He mentioned, “It’s not what I should have done. I did it to protect my wife, my family, and my job.” He did not say how much money was in the settlement.
During his Jan. 14 senate confirmation hearing, Hegseth denied the claims, calling them “anonymous, false charges.”
Pete Hegseth faced tough questions about his comments on women in the military and allegations that he drunkenly said “kill all Muslims” at a work event and took colleagues to a strip club. Despite strong criticism from Democratic senators and “no” votes from Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, Hegseth’s nomination moved forward with a 51-49 vote. A final vote on his confirmation is expected on Friday, Jan. 24. If approved, he will lead the Pentagon and all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Parlatore did not reply to ETI’s request for more information on Thursday.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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