Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, paid off accuser but denies 2017 sexual assault, lawyer says

CNN
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Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, paid a woman accused him of sexual assault In a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause, according to Hegseth’s attorney.

Attorney Timothy Parlatore said Hegseth denied assaulting the woman and described the October 2017 incident in Monterey, California, as “consensual sexual intercourse.”

Monterey city officials confirmed last week that local police were investigating an “alleged sexual assault” involving Hegseth. The city declined to release information about the victim and said it would not release the full police report or comment further on the investigation, citing the state’s public records law.

Hegseth has not been charged in any criminal case or named as a defendant in any civil case related to the incident.

Parlatore said in a statement to CNN that Hegseth learned in 2020 that the woman was considering filing a lawsuit.

Parlatore said the payment to the married woman was at a “significantly reduced amount” and that Hegseth, a former Fox News host, made the deal because it was during the “Me Too” movement and she did not want to lose her job at the company. network if the accusation is made public. The lawyer’s statement did not specify how much Hegseth’s accuser was paid in the settlement.

Parlatore said Hegseth felt he was the victim of blackmail.

CNN spoke briefly with the alleged victim on Thursday. He was visibly distraught when Hegseth’s name was mentioned but refused to be interviewed without first contacting his lawyer. He said he didn’t know what he was authorized to say.

The woman, who CNN is not naming because of her alleged sexual assault victim, did not respond to subsequent interview requests. The agreement and its confidentiality clause were first reported by the Washington Post on Saturday evening.

According to a statement from the city, the alleged assault occurred in the early morning hours of October 8, 2017, at the address of the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa, and was reported by the woman four days later. Hegseth was a speaker at a conference held by the California Federation of Republican Women at a hotel at the time of the alleged attack.

In a statement from Monterey City, it was stated that there was no weapon involved in the incident, but that there were injuries in the form of “crushes on the right thigh”, without providing further details.

Trump chose Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense last week despite her lack of experience in high-level military or public office; This surprised both Pentagon officials and the former president’s own allies. News of the sexual assault allegation came on the heels of Trump’s announcement, drawing the president-elect’s attention. The transition team is unprepared, CNN reported Friday.

Trump’s communications director defended Hegseth in an earlier statement to CNN, saying he “vehemently denies any and all allegations 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.

CNN’s Kyung Lah and Scott Glover contributed to this report.