Trump’s Pentagon pick investigated for sexual assault allegations

Authorities in California have confirmed that Donald Trump’s pick for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being investigated over a 2017 sexual assault allegation.

Hegseth was never arrested or charged and denies wrongdoing.

“These allegations were fully investigated and Mr. Hegseth was cleared,” his lawyer told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. he said. “This should not have any impact on the approval process.”

Hegseth, Fox News host and veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. surprising choice For senior defense role due to lack of management experience.

City officials in Monterey, California published a statement He said Thursday evening that they were investigating an allegation of sexual assault that occurred in October 2017 at a hotel in the coastal city.

The statement included few details other than the report of the alleged sexual assault, which was reported four days after the alleged incident at the hotel. The police report stated that no weapon or property was involved and that the complainant had “contusions on his right thigh.”

“The City of Monterey will not be making any further statements regarding this investigation,” officials said.

News about the investigation was first announced by Vanity Fair magazine.

Along with Trump’s other cabinet picks, Hegseth will face hearings and a confirmation vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.

“President Trump is nominating highly qualified and highly qualified candidates to serve in his Administration,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said. “Mr. Hegseth vehemently denied all allegations and no criminal charges were filed.”

If his role is confirmed by the US Senate, Hegseth will come to the Pentagon to make decisions on issues such as military aid to Israel during its operation in Gaza and support for Ukraine in the face of Russian invasion.

The US Department of Defense has a budget of around $900 billion (£708 billion) and employs 2.9 million civilian and military personnel worldwide.

A conservative culture warrior, he promised to transform the military but faced questions about his management experience, even as his supporters claimed he would bring about change at the Pentagon.

Hegseth, 44, criticized diversity programs and the inclusion of women in combat roles in the military.

In a recent podcast, he said that “any general, any admiral, anything that has to do with DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) woke (expletive)” should be fired.

He also argued that women should not serve in combat roles because it does not make the military “more effective” or “more lethal.”

“Throughout human history, men in these positions have been more skilled,” he said.

Hegseth, a member of the Minnesota National Guard, was stopped from serving as an officer in Washington, D.C., during Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration.

He said in a book published earlier this year that he was turned down for the job because of his tattoos, which included a Jerusalem Cross and a tattoo that read “Deus Vult,” Latin for “God wills it.”

Both the cross and this expression were used by Christian warriors during the Crusades. In modern times, they have been used by right-wing Christians and Christian nationalists, as well as extremist, neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, according to researchers. Hegseth has denied any links to extremists.

Hegseth has seven children, including a daughter born in August 2017, with Fox producer Jennifer Rauchet, with whom he reportedly had an extramarital affair. He later married his third wife, Rauchet.