Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a settlement agreement with a confidentiality clause. Hegseth denies assaulting the woman, calling it a “consensual sexual encounter.” However, he felt pressured to settle due to his high-profile job at Fox News and the “Me Too” movement.
The alleged incident occurred on October 8, 2017, at a conference in Monterey, California. The victim reported the incident four days later and received treatment for contusions on her thigh. Hegseth was nominated by Trump despite having no senior military or public experience. His team initially defended him, but the news of the alleged assault caught them off guard.
Monterey city officials investigated the incident, but declined to release details due to state public records law. The woman has not publicly commented on the settlement, citing concerns about being identified as a victim of sexual assault. Despite this, Hegseth’s accuser received a reduced payment in the settlement, which was intended to avoid drawing further attention.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/17/politics/pete-hegseth-sexual-assault-settlement-agreement/index.html