Hegseth, Trump’s defense pick, paid settlement to woman who accused him of sexual assault, lawyer says

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Choose the Secretary of DefenseHe paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017 as part of a settlement agreement, Hegseth’s attorney said in a statement Saturday.

Tim Parlatore, the former Fox News star’s attorney, said in a statement that Hegseth settled in December 2020 only because he feared his career would suffer if his allegations became public. Parlator said Hegseth was the victim of “blackmail” and “false allegations of sexual assault” by an unidentified woman after the October 7, 2017 Republican Women’s Convention in California.

“Knowing that this was the height of the MeToo movement and that any public accusation would result in his immediate termination from Fox, Mr. Hegseth ultimately decided to settle for a significantly reduced amount,” the statement said.

In Parlatore’s account, Hegseth met the woman at an after-party where she got “mostly drunk.” The woman “led him by the arm to his hotel room” where the two had a “consensual sexual encounter”.

“The complainant was the aggressor in initiating the sexual activity,” Parlatore wrote.

Like ABC News has previously reportedthe woman filed a police report days later, but no charges were filed. Two years later, Parlatore said, the woman “started making noise about suing Mr. Hegseth.” His colleagues “warned us of the threat,” prompting Hegseth and his legal team to send a cease-and-desist letter.

Parlator did not disclose the amount of the settlement.

According to The Washington Post, Parlatore’s statement — which was first report according to the newspaper, it comes after a friend of the alleged victim sent a memo to Trump transition officials last week calling attention to the incident.

The memo, which has not been obtained or reviewed by ABC News, said the woman — described by the Post as a 30-year-old employee of the conservative group at the time — was responsible for making sure Hegseth returned it to her. hotel room at the end of the night.

in one publish in XTrump’s team said the president-elect stands by Hegseth.

“Mr. Hegseth has vehemently denied all allegations, and no charges were filed,” said Stephen Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “We look forward to his confirmation as US Secretary of Defense.”

Trump’s team did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment. The person who sent the memo to the transition team did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.

According to the statement, two other women called when Hegseth appeared “strong about his interest in taking her to the upper bedroom.”

After the other two women left, the woman “had no recollection of being in Hegseth’s hotel room and then stumbling to find her hotel room.” The next day, “she had a vague memory of being raped the day before, and had a panic attack,” the statement said.

The woman went to the emergency room, where a rape kit test “was positive for semen,” the statement said.

Monterey city officials said in a statement that police investigated an alleged “sexual assault” that occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 8, 2017, at a Hyatt Regency. The incident did not involve a weapon, but the victim was said to have suffered “bumps on the right thigh”.

Hegseth was not identified as the alleged attacker in the city’s statement. The victim’s name and age are listed as “confidential.”

The police report was submitted a day later, on October 12. A spokesman for the Monterey Superior Court said ABC News Thursday there is no record of Hegseth’s name as a party.