Thu Nov 21 20:10:31 UTC 2024: ## Hegseth’s Defense Secretary Nomination Shadowed by 2017 Sexual Assault Allegation
**Santa Cruz, CA – November 22, 2024** – A detailed police report released Wednesday reveals a 2017 sexual assault allegation against Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense. The 22-page document, obtained through a public records request, details a woman’s account of an incident at a California hotel following a Republican women’s event where Hegseth spoke.
The woman alleges that Hegseth, a Fox News personality, took her phone, blocked the hotel room door, and prevented her from leaving before assaulting her. She reported experiencing memory loss and nightmares following the incident. The report includes interviews with the alleged victim, medical personnel, a hotel employee, another attendee, and Hegseth himself.
Hegseth maintains the encounter was consensual and denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer stated that a settlement was reached with the woman in 2023 to avoid a potential lawsuit, which they claimed was baseless. However, the police report does not conclude the allegations were false and recommended the case be reviewed by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. No charges were ever filed.
A spokesperson for the Trump transition team asserted that the report corroborates Hegseth’s claims, a statement contradicted by the report’s content. The woman’s name has not been released. Hegseth’s attorney declined to disclose the amount of the settlement. The allegations come amidst past reports of infidelity in Hegseth’s personal life. The incident and subsequent police investigation raise serious questions about Hegseth’s fitness for the high-profile position.
First Piper 