Trump’s transition team caught off guard by Hegseth allegation

As President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team was in the midst of announcing new Cabinet picks this week, they were notified of a sexual assault allegation against one of his previous picks. Pete HegsethIt stunned several members of Trump’s team who have since raised questions about the viability of Trump’s candidacy, according to two people close to the situation.

Trump announced he was appointing Hegseth as his new secretary of defense after considering the former Fox News host for several days and doing little soul-searching. Within 48 hours, a complaint about the sexual assault allegation against Hegseth was filed with the heads of Trump’s transition team.

Information was brought into the campaign that aligns with: What police in Monterey, California, describe On October 8, 2017, as an investigation into an “alleged sexual assault” involving Hegseth.

Hegseth was speaking at a conference held by the California Federation of Republican Women at a hotel at the time of the alleged attack, according to photos of the event posted on Facebook. Hegseth has not been charged in any criminal case or named as a defendant in any civil lawsuit filed in Monterey County since 2017, and his attorney has denied any wrongdoing.

But the nature of the allegations prompted new chief of staff Susie Wiles to question Hegseth during a meeting on Thursday, a source told CNN. Wiles asked Hegseth if there were any other issues the team should be aware of as we move forward.

Hegseth had never been reviewed by an outside firm before being announced. Some people who previously worked for Trump when he was last in office and briefly considered having Hegseth run the Department of Veterans Affairs said it was short-lived for similar reasons, without providing details.

Despite the surprise, the president-elect and his transition team are now moving forward with the nomination, a source emphasized.

But in the days since, the allegation has further undermined Hegseth’s already tenuous pick to lead the largest agency in the federal government, which includes millions of soldiers and civilians and has a budget of more than $800 billion. There was open speculation on Trump’s agenda Friday about whether Hegseth would ultimately withdraw her own candidacy, and many worried that more damaging information could be forthcoming.

The president-elect this week chose Hegseth, a candidate with no experience in high-level military or public office, as defense secretary, surprising both Pentagon officials and the former president’s own allies.

But Trump’s communications director defended Hegseth in an earlier statement to CNN, saying he “vehemently denies any and all accusations and no criminal charges have been filed.”

“We look forward to his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Defense so he can begin on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again,” said Steven Cheung.

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