The popular Fox News host, Pete Hegseth, nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after an event in Monterey, California. During that same time, he was going through a divorce with his second wife, with whom he has three children. The accusations were denied by his lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, who labeled them as "completely false".
According to a statement issued by the city of Monterey, the police were contacted in October 2017 to investigate an alleged sexual assault that reportedly took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Monterey, where Hegseth was staying. The person who reported the assault had bruises on their right thigh. It is noteworthy that no charges were filed in this case.
Hegseth, 44 years old, has been a proponent of Trump’s "America first" policies, advocating to make the military more lethal and to free military members accused of war crimes. Despite the allegations against him, he has vehemently denied all charges and has received support from Trump's transition team.
Trump's team, through spokesperson Steven Cheung, has expressed confidence in Hegseth, denying the allegations and stating that they look forward to his confirmation as Secretary of Defense so he can contribute to making America "safe and great again". For their part, city officials in Monterey have refrained from providing further details about the case, citing public records regulations.
In an interview on the podcast "The Shawn Ryan Show", Hegseth made controversial statements about the participation of women in combat, arguing that it complicated the situation and increased casualties. Despite this controversy, no evidence was found to support the allegations of sexual assault against him.
