Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary has denied the 2017 sexual assault allegations against him, and no charges were brought.
A police report detailing the sexual assault allegations made against Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, has been published by a media outlet.
The report, obtained by U.S. news and media outlet Mediaite, details the claims made against Hegseth regarding an alleged incident at a hotel following the California Federation of Republican Women convention in October 2017.
The woman alleged Hegseth sexually assaulted her after he prevented her from leaving a hotel room. Hegseth said the encounter was consensual. No charges were filed against him.
The City of Monterey had previously confirmed that the Monterey Police Department investigated the sexual assault claim against Hegseth and that he received a redacted version of the report in March 2021.
In a statement to Mediaite after the site obtained the report, Parlatore said: “This police report confirms what I have said all along that the incident was fully investigated and police found the allegations to be false, which is why no charges were filed.”
Parlatore previously confirmed that Hegseth agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to the woman as part of a nondisclosure agreement over fears he might lose his job if the claims become public.
The allegations against Hegseth, who used to host Fox & Friends Weekend on Sundays, along with his lack of administrative experience are among the reasons that Trump’s nomination of him for defense secretary has received bipartisan scrutiny.
Parlatore previously told Newsweek: “Although an allegation was made, it was fully investigated and Pete was cleared. This unfortunate episode should have zero impact on the confirmation process.”
The 22-page report details the allegations from the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, against Hegseth after he gave a keynote speech at the Republican conference.
