Lawyer confirms Pete Hegseth paid woman after sexual assault claim

a lawyer Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick The acting defense minister has confirmed that a woman who accused him of sexual assault was paid as part of a secret deal.

Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore, told the Associated Press that the settlement was made to prevent him from filing a false lawsuit.

According to the statement made by the city, Hegseth was accused of sexual assault after he spoke at an event attended by Republican women in Monterey, California, in 2017.

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According to the statement made by the municipality, the person who reported the attack had bruises on his right thigh. No charges were filed.

Hegseth’s lawyer said the sexual intercourse was consensual.

Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth at the Young Israel National Council Gala in New York City. (Photo: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

His lawyer argues that a payment was made to the woman as part of a secret settlement several years after the police investigation because Hegseth believed the threat of a lawsuit could get him fired from Fox News, where he was then a popular host.

Parlatore did not disclose the amount of the payment.

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“He was falsely accused and it is my opinion that he was the victim of blackmail,” Parlatore said, describing the incident as a case of “successful extortion”.

Hegseth was in Monterey at the time to address the California Federation of Republican Women. At the time of the 2017 accusations, Hegseth, now 44, was in the process of divorcing his second wife, with whom he had three children.

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According to court records and Hegseth’s social media posts, she filed for divorce after having a child with her now-husband, a Fox News producer. Her first marriage also ended in 2009 after Hegseth was infidelity, according to court records.

Steven Cheung, Trump’s transition spokesman, released a statement saying the president-elect “has nominated highly qualified and highly qualified candidates to serve in his Administration.”

“Mr. Hegseth has vehemently denied all allegations and no criminal charges have been filed. We look forward to his confirmation so he can begin Day One of Making America Safe and Great Again as the United States Secretary of Defense,” Cheung said.