- One day after Donald Trump named Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary pick, Vanity Fair published a story alleging the Fox & Friends host sexually assaulted a woman in 2017
- Hegseth denied the assault allegations and said it was a consensual act, but his attorney said in November that he did reach a confidential settlement with the accuser
- On Jan. 23, the Associated Press reported the settlement payment was $50,000
Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee, reportedly paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to the Associated Press and CBS News.
The $50,000 figure was included in the written answers Hegseth, 44, provided to Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren during his senate confirmation process, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, Jan. 23. Hegseth’s nomination was advanced on Thursday.
Trump nominated the former Fox & Friends host as defense secretary on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The next day, the City of Monterey, Calif. confirmed in a press release that an investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving Hegseth was conducted by the city’s police department and completed in November 2017.
Vanity Fair was the first outlet to report the alleged sexual assault.
According to the Nov. 14 press release, the person who reported the sexual assault alleged it took place on Oct. 7, 2017, between 11:59 p.m. and 7 a.m. the next day. Hegseth allegedly took the woman’s phone, then blocked the hotel door and refused to let her leave, the alleged victim told police, per a detailed investigative report released on Nov. 20, 2024, the Associated Press reports. The alleged victim sustained bruises on their right thigh, and police said that no weapons were involved.
Police forwarded the report to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office for review. Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni said on Nov. 21 her office decided against filing charges in January 2018 because they didn’t have “proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” per the AP.
Although Hegseth and his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, have denied the claims and claimed it was a sexual act, Parlatore said in a statement Hegseth reached a confidential settlement with the accuser in December 2020.
Parlatore said his client was the victim of “blackmail” and “false claims of sexual assault” by the accuser, per ABC News.
“Knowing that it was the height of the MeToo movement and any public accusation would result in his immediate termination from Fox, Mr. Hegseth ultimately decided to enter into a settlement for a significantly reduced amount,” Parlatore said, later alleging that the “complainant was the aggressor in initiating sexual activity.”
On Dec. 4, Hegseth also told SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show that he paid a settlement without sharing an amount. “It’s not what I should have done,” he said. “I did it to protect my wife I did it to protect my family and I did it to protect my job.” He did not reveal the amount of money paid in the settlement.
During his Jan. 14 senate confirmation hearing, Hegseth denied the allegations and said they were “anonymous, false charges.”
Hegseth was also questioned about comments regarding women in the military as well as an accusation that he drunkenly chanted “kill all Muslims” at a work event and another allegation that he brought colleagues to a strip club.
Despite a harsh response from Democratic senators and “no” votes from Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, Hegseth’s nomination was advanced with a 51-49 vote on Thursday. The final vote on confirmation is expected Friday, Jan. 24, and if approved, Hegseth will oversee the Pentagon and all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
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Parlatore did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Thursday.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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