Pete Hegseth, appointed by elected President Donald Trump as Secretary of Defense, faces allegations of sexual assault following an incident that took place in 2017 at a Republican women's event in California. According to court records, this is not the first time infidelity allegations have emerged in Hegseth's love life, whose first marriage ended in 2009 for similar reasons.
After the accusations were made public last week, a spokesperson for Trump's transition team issued a statement asserting that the elected president was nominating highly qualified individuals for his administration and expressed support for Hegseth, who vigorously denied the allegations. Although charges were not filed, it was revealed that Hegseth reached a confidential settlement with the alleged victim to avoid a meritless lawsuit.
Hegseth's attorney, Tim Parlatore, told the Associated Press that the alleged sexual encounter was consensual and that it was the woman who acted aggressively. The incident in question occurred between the night of October 7 and the following morning during an event where Hegseth was participating as a speaker.
Amid his divorce from his second wife in 2017, Hegseth became embroiled in this scandal, which has regained relevance with his nomination for a high post in the Trump administration. Despite the allegations against him, his supporters hope he will be confirmed as Secretary of Defense so he can contribute to making America safe and successful again.
