Defender Peter Hegeth paid his accuser to protect his career, his lawyer confirms

An attorney for Pete Hegseth, Fox News host and President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee, confirms to NPR that Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to prevent her from filing a lawsuit that could harm his career. .

Hegseth, 44, denied the woman’s allegations. The incident took place in 2017.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, said in a statement that Hegseth had reached an agreement with his accuser, including paying him an unknown amount of money in exchange for her signing a confidentiality agreement. The purpose of this arrangement was to prevent him from filing a lawsuit and to protect Hegseth’s position at Fox News. ExposureI didn’t report it.

Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told NPR on Monday that the information attributed to him was accurate, which was the first news of the settlement. according to to mail In the article, a friend of the woman shared information about the incident in a memo sent to the Trump transition team last week. NPR has not independently verified the contents of the memo.

Trump team says no charges filed

“President Trump is nominating highly qualified and highly qualified candidates to serve in his Administration,” Trump Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement to NPR. he said.

Cheung said Hegseth’s candidacy will continue.

“Mr. Hegseth vehemently denied all allegations and no charges were filed,” he said. “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.”

Trump himself was found guilty of falsifying business records hush money paymentsAdult film star Stormy Daniels claims the lawsuit is politically motivated.

What is Hegseth accused of?

Hegseth was named in an investigation by the Monterey Police Department into a reported sexual assault at a golf resort in California in 2017. Accordingly a statement Hegseth, a city official, admits to having sexual intercourse with the woman but insists it was consensual.

The incident occurred in the early hours of October 8 at 1 Old Golf Course Road, the address of the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa. Police said the woman reported an injury to her right thigh. The news releases do not disclose the name or age of the alleged victim; but she was 30 at the time and was working for the California Federation of Republican Women, helping with logistics when Hegseth spoke at conferences.

He was staying at the hotel with his wife.

Hegseth’s relationship status at the time was complicated: His second wife filed for divorce “around the same time” in 2017, and he and his current wife had a baby together. Washington Comptroller.

In his statement to the Turkish Armed Forces to mailParlatore says Hegseth had been drinking at the hotel bar and was drunk when he went to the hotel room with the woman. According to the Post, a note from the woman’s friend states that the woman was taken to the room after learning that Hegseth was disturbing other women. A few days later, she contacted the police to report sexual assault.

After the woman hired a lawyer to evaluate a case several years later, both parties reached a settlement. In his statement to the Post, Parlatore noted that the MeToo movement was gaining momentum at that time. CBS News If Hegseth had been publicly accused of sexual assault, he would have faced “an immediate storm of fear,” according to a quote Parlatore confirmed to NPR.

The incident in Monterey occurred nearly a year after Fox News signed with the former company. Fox and Friends public server Gretchen Carlson for $20 million over sexual harassment allegations against the network’s former president, Roger Ailes. Between early 2017 and 2020, the network experienced several high-profile departures linked to misconduct, including by hosts Bill O’Reilly And Eric BollingWashington correspondent James Rosen and news anchor Ed Henry.

Hegseth is known for his work in television and his loyalty to Trump

When Hegseth was nominated last week, her choice appeared to surprise many Republican lawmakers; As NPR reported, his name was not on the known shortlist of potential candidates. But it continued Trump’s pattern of installing loyalists and Fox News personalities. in important positions.

Trump’s choice has brought Hegseth, who lives in Tennessee with his wife and seven children, under intense scrutiny.

Prominent Democrats and military experts, The meaning and political morality of your tattoos Whether Hegseth has the authority to oversee the nation’s largest employer. The Department of Defense has “over 2.1 million Military Service members and over 770 thousand civilian employees.” 2020 financial report.

Hegseth is a Minnesota native who served as an officer in the Army National Guard, retiring as a major in 2021 after being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. his official biography. He received a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University in 2013.

Among those questioning Hegseth’s qualifications is Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

“I have great respect for all those who serve our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces. However, not everyone who wears a uniform is qualified to lead the Department of Defense,” McCollum said. he said in a statementHe added that he was concerned that Hegseth was “unprepared to serve as Secretary of Defense.”

The military has its own sexual assault problems

If confirmed, Hegseth would lead a U.S. military trying to reduce alarming rates of sexual assault. military academies with overseas distributions.

In a notable change, the Department of Defense implemented an amendment earlier this year granting this authority to independent military lawyers. authority to handle sexual assault cases,

removing these matters from the defendant or victim’s chain of command.

This change in the military justice system supported by current defense secretary Lloyd Austin.

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