President-elect Donald Trump shocked many when he named former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his choice for Secretary of Defense recently. This announcement comes amidst unresolved allegations against Hegseth involving a past sexual assault accusation, which he contends was consensual.
According to the New York Post, Pete Hegseth, nominated for Secretary of Defense by Donald Trump, has faced serious allegations from his past, calling into question his suitability for the role.
The allegations stem from an incident on October 7, 2017, in Monterey, California, where Hegseth was staying at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa for a conference held by a conservative group.
Hegseth, a veteran and former television persona, was accused by a female staffer who worked for the same conservative group. Both had attended a bar the same evening and according to Hegseth's attorney, Timothy Parlatore, the encounter they later had in Hegseth’s hotel room was entirely consensual.
The accuser, then in her 30s, asserted that she was ensuring Hegseth returned safely to his hotel room when the alleged assault occurred.
She filed a police complaint shortly after the incident; however, the local district attorney refrained from pressing charges citing insufficient evidence, Parlatore detailed.
By 2020, legal threats from the accuser prompted Hegseth to settle the matter privately after a mediation process, resulting in a payment of an undisclosed sum and the implementation of a non-disclosure agreement.
“Basically, he was totally innocent. He did nothing wrong here,” stated Parlatore, defending Hegseth against the accusations. Parlatore described the mediation process where a settlement was reached for less than the accuser's initial demands, stating, “We went through a mediation and ultimately settled for far less than what she wanted. And that should have completely buried it.”
Parlatore also painted a picture of the incident night, claiming that Hegseth, despite being heavily intoxicated, was led to his hotel room by the accuser, who was sober, and it was she who was the aggressor in the situation. “She took him by the arm and she led him up to his room,” he explained.
The narrative of that night presented by Hegseth's accuser is further complicated by subsequent events. According to Parlatore, “She woke up to a whole bunch of texts from her husband saying, ‘Why didn’t you come back to our room?’ Afterward, she had to come back and lie,” suggesting possible motives for the legal action against Hegseth. “If she were to come out and start repeating these false claims, or if this in any way derails the confirmation, then, yeah, we will probably be following a pretty massive lawsuit against her for defamation and civil and extortion,” Parlatore added.
Despite these contentious issues surrounding Hegseth's nomination, the Trump administration has expressed unequivocal support for him. “President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration,” remarked Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.
“Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again,” Cheung concluded, highlighting the administration's confidence in Hegseth's capability to lead the Pentagon, especially in reforming its current practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In conclusion, Pete Hegseth's nomination as Secretary of Defense by Donald Trump has been marred by allegations from 2017 which he vehemently denies and describes as a consensual encounter.
A settlement was reached with the accuser, which included a non-disclosure agreement after no charges were pressed by legal authorities.